HB 277 2024
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to Medicaid eligibility for young 2
adults; providing legislative findings; requiring the 3
Agency for Health Care Administration, in consultation 4
with the Commission on Mental Health and Substance Use 5
Disorder, to conduct a study for a specified purpose; 6
providing requirements for the study; providing the 7
duties of the agency upon completion of the study; 8
requiring the agency to submit a report of i ts 9
findings and recommendations to the Governor and the 10
Legislature by a specified date; providing an 11
effective date. 12
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 14
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Section 1. (1) The Legislature recognizes that there 16
exists a health insurance coverage gap affecting certain young 17
adults 18 to 26 years of age who are unable to receive coverage 18
for behavioral health services and primary and preventative care 19
through a parent and are also unable to personally obtain health 20
insurance through an employer or through Medicaid due to the 21
program's income eligibility criteria. The Legislature also 22
finds that young adults would benefit from increased access to 23
behavioral health services as well as primary and preventative 24
care, promoting better l ong-term physical and mental health 25
HB 277 2024
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
outcomes. 26
(2) The Agency for Health Care Administration, in 27
consultation with the Commission on Mental Health and Substance 28
Use Disorder created under s. 394.9086, Florida Statutes, shall 29
conduct a study to assess the potential impacts of adjusting the 30
Medicaid income eligibility criteria to extend coverage to young 31
adults 18 to 26 years of age who are affected by the health 32
insurance coverage gap because they are unable to receive 33
coverage through a parent and are also unable to personally 34
obtain health insurance coverage through an employer or through 35
Medicaid due to the program's income eligibility criteria. In 36
its study, the agency, at a minimum, shall do all of the 37
following: 38
(a) Identify the estimated average num ber of young adults 39
who are affected by the health insurance coverage gap each year. 40
The agency shall use any relevant data available from the 41
preceding 5 years and shall conduct additional assessment 42
surveys, as needed, in developing the estimate. 43
(b) Estimate the additional costs to the Medicaid program 44
as a result of extending coverage for behavioral health services 45
and primary and preventative care to such young adults, 46
identifying any factors that may offset such costs. 47
(c) To the extent possible, determine the behavioral 48
health needs of such young adults which go unaddressed as a 49
result of not having health insurance coverage. 50
HB 277 2024
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
(d) To the extent possible, identify any correlation 51
between unaddressed behavioral and physical health needs of 52
young adults affected by the health insurance coverage gap and 53
their use of urgent care and emergency room services when 54
compared to peers who have health insurance coverage. 55
(3) Based on the findings in the study, the agency shall: 56
(a) Identify the extent of the behavioral and physical 57
health needs of young adults 18 to 26 years of age in this state 58
who are affected by the health insurance coverage gap. 59
(b) Identify evidence -based interventions that will 60
address the specific needs of such young adults and in crease 61
access to behavioral health care and primary and preventative 62
care, including, but not limited to, any pilot programs that may 63
be implemented in this state. 64
(c) Develop a strategic, data -driven approach to 65
addressing behavioral health care access and costs for targeted 66
at-risk populations that will benefit from early intervention. 67
(d) Make recommendations as to whether the Medicaid 68
program can sustain an expansion of income eligibility criteria 69
for such young adults and, if so, the changes that s hould be 70
made to the income eligibility criteria. 71
(e) Identify any legislative barriers to implementing the 72
agency's recommendations. 73
(4) The agency shall submit a report of its findings and 74
recommendations to the Governor, the President of the Senate, 75
HB 277 2024
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by January 1, 76
2025. 77
Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. 78