Florida 2024 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H0277 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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10	10	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
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14	14	A bill to be entitled 1
15	15	An act relating to Medicaid eligibility for young 2
16	16	adults; providing legislative findings; requiring the 3
17	17	Agency for Health Care Administration, in consultation 4
18	18	with the Commission on Mental Health and Substance Use 5
19	19	Disorder, to conduct a study for a specified purpose; 6
20	20	providing requirements for the study; providing the 7
21	21	duties of the agency upon completion of the study; 8
22	22	requiring the agency to submit a report of i ts 9
23	23	findings and recommendations to the Governor and the 10
24	24	Legislature by a specified date; providing an 11
25	25	effective date. 12
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27	27	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 14
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29	29	Section 1. (1) The Legislature recognizes that there 16
30	30	exists a health insurance coverage gap affecting certain young 17
31	31	adults 18 to 26 years of age who are unable to receive coverage 18
32	32	for behavioral health services and primary and preventative care 19
33	33	through a parent and are also unable to personally obtain health 20
34	34	insurance through an employer or through Medicaid due to the 21
35	35	program's income eligibility criteria. The Legislature also 22
36	36	finds that young adults would benefit from increased access to 23
37	37	behavioral health services as well as primary and preventative 24
38	38	care, promoting better l ong-term physical and mental health 25
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40	40	HB 277 2024
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47	47	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
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51	51	outcomes. 26
52	52	(2) The Agency for Health Care Administration, in 27
53	53	consultation with the Commission on Mental Health and Substance 28
54	54	Use Disorder created under s. 394.9086, Florida Statutes, shall 29
55	55	conduct a study to assess the potential impacts of adjusting the 30
56	56	Medicaid income eligibility criteria to extend coverage to young 31
57	57	adults 18 to 26 years of age who are affected by the health 32
58	58	insurance coverage gap because they are unable to receive 33
59	59	coverage through a parent and are also unable to personally 34
60	60	obtain health insurance coverage through an employer or through 35
61	61	Medicaid due to the program's income eligibility criteria. In 36
62	62	its study, the agency, at a minimum, shall do all of the 37
63	63	following: 38
64	64	(a) Identify the estimated average num ber of young adults 39
65	65	who are affected by the health insurance coverage gap each year. 40
66	66	The agency shall use any relevant data available from the 41
67	67	preceding 5 years and shall conduct additional assessment 42
68	68	surveys, as needed, in developing the estimate. 43
69	69	(b) Estimate the additional costs to the Medicaid program 44
70	70	as a result of extending coverage for behavioral health services 45
71	71	and primary and preventative care to such young adults, 46
72	72	identifying any factors that may offset such costs. 47
73	73	(c) To the extent possible, determine the behavioral 48
74	74	health needs of such young adults which go unaddressed as a 49
75	75	result of not having health insurance coverage. 50
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84	84	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
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88	88	(d) To the extent possible, identify any correlation 51
89	89	between unaddressed behavioral and physical health needs of 52
90	90	young adults affected by the health insurance coverage gap and 53
91	91	their use of urgent care and emergency room services when 54
92	92	compared to peers who have health insurance coverage. 55
93	93	(3) Based on the findings in the study, the agency shall: 56
94	94	(a) Identify the extent of the behavioral and physical 57
95	95	health needs of young adults 18 to 26 years of age in this state 58
96	96	who are affected by the health insurance coverage gap. 59
97	97	(b) Identify evidence -based interventions that will 60
98	98	address the specific needs of such young adults and in crease 61
99	99	access to behavioral health care and primary and preventative 62
100	100	care, including, but not limited to, any pilot programs that may 63
101	101	be implemented in this state. 64
102	102	(c) Develop a strategic, data -driven approach to 65
103	103	addressing behavioral health care access and costs for targeted 66
104	104	at-risk populations that will benefit from early intervention. 67
105	105	(d) Make recommendations as to whether the Medicaid 68
106	106	program can sustain an expansion of income eligibility criteria 69
107	107	for such young adults and, if so, the changes that s hould be 70
108	108	made to the income eligibility criteria. 71
109	109	(e) Identify any legislative barriers to implementing the 72
110	110	agency's recommendations. 73
111	111	(4) The agency shall submit a report of its findings and 74
112	112	recommendations to the Governor, the President of the Senate, 75
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121	121	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
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125	125	and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by January 1, 76
126	126	2025. 77
127	127	Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. 78