HB 499 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 congenital cytomegalovirus 2
screenings; amending s. 383.145, F.S.; requiring 3
certain hospitals to administer congenital 4
cytomegalovirus screenings on newborns admitted to the 5
hospital under specified circumstances; requiring that 6
the screenings be initiated within a specified 7
timeframe; providing construction; providing coverage 8
under the Medicaid program for the screenings and any 9
medically necessary follow-up reevaluations; requiring 10
that newborns diagnosed with congenital 11
cytomegalovirus be referred to a primary care 12
physician for medical management, treatment, and 13
follow-up services; requiring that children diagnosed 14
with a congenital cytomegalovirus infection without 15
hearing loss be referred to the Children's Medical 16
Services Early Intervention Program and be deemed 17
eligible for evaluation and any medically necessary 18
follow-up reevaluations and monitoring under the 19
program; providing an effective date. 20
21
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 22
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Section 1. Paragraphs (a), (k), and (l) of subsection (3) 24
of section 383.145, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 25
HB 499 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
383.145 Newborn and infant hearing screening. — 26
(3) REQUIREMENTS FOR SCREENING OF NEWBORNS; INSURANCE 27
COVERAGE; REFERRAL FOR ONGOING SERVICES. — 28
(a)1. Each hospital or other state -licensed birthing 29
facility that provides maternity and newborn care services shall 30
ensure that all newborns are, before discha rge, screened for the 31
detection of hearing loss to prevent the consequences of 32
unidentified disorders. If a newborn fails the screening for the 33
detection of hearing loss, the hospital or other state -licensed 34
birthing facility must administer a test approve d by the United 35
States Food and Drug Administration or another diagnostically 36
equivalent test on the newborn to screen for congenital 37
cytomegalovirus before the newborn becomes 21 days of age or 38
before discharge, whichever occurs earlier. 39
2. Each hospital that provides neonatal intensive care 40
services shall administer a test approved by the United States 41
Food and Drug Administration or another diagnostically 42
equivalent test to screen for congenital cytomegalovirus in each 43
newborn admitted to the hospital as a result of a premature 44
birth occurring before 33 weeks' gestation, due to the newborn's 45
size being small for his or her gestational age, for cardiac 46
care, or for medical or postsurgical treatment requiring an 47
anticipated stay of 3 weeks or longer. Such screening must be 48
initiated before the newborn becomes 21 days of age. 49
3. If a newborn requires transfer to another hospital for 50
HB 499 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
higher level of care, the birthing hospital must initiate the 51
congenital cytomegalovirus screening before the transfer. For 52
newborns transferred or admitted for intensive and prolonged 53
care, the congenital cytomegalovirus screening must be initiated 54
regardless of whether the newborn failed a hearing screening. 55
(k) The initial procedures procedure for the congenital 56
cytomegalovirus screening and the hearing screening of the 57
newborn or infant and any medically necessary follow -up 58
reevaluations leading to diagnosis are shall be a covered 59
benefits benefit for Medicaid patients covered by a fee -for-60
service program. For Medicaid pat ients enrolled in HMOs, 61
providers must shall be reimbursed directly by the Medicaid 62
Program Office at the Medicaid rate. This service is may not be 63
considered a covered service for the purposes of establishing 64
the payment rate for Medicaid HMOs. All health insurance 65
policies and health maintenance organizations as provided under 66
ss. 627.6416, 627.6579, and 641.31(30), except for supplemental 67
policies that only provide coverage for specific diseases, 68
hospital indemnity, or Medicare supplement, or to the 69
supplemental policies, must shall compensate providers for the 70
covered benefit at the contracted rate. Nonhospital -based 71
providers are eligible to bill Medicaid for the professional and 72
technical component of each procedure code. 73
(l) A child who is diagnosed as having permanent hearing 74
loss or a congenital cytomegalovirus infection must be referred 75
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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
to the primary care physician for medical management, treatment, 76
and follow-up services. Furthermore, in accordance with Part C 77
of the Individuals with Disabilitie s Education Act, Pub. L. No. 78
108-446, Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities, any child from 79
birth to 36 months of age who is diagnosed as having hearing 80
loss that requires ongoing special hearing services must be 81
referred to the Children's Medical Service s Early Intervention 82
Program serving the geographical area in which the child 83
resides. A child diagnosed with a congenital cytomegalovirus 84
infection without hearing loss must be referred to the 85
Children's Medical Services Early Intervention Program and be 86
deemed eligible for a baseline evaluation and any medically 87
necessary follow-up reevaluations and monitoring. 88
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 89