FL set to spend $1.5 billion in variety of health care programs; here’s where the funds would go

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Over the next decade, Florida plans to spend $1.5 billion on the healthcare initiative lawmakers prioritized during this year’s legislative session, and which is now in the hands of Gov. Ron DeSantis, who would have to approve the program.

Senate President Kathleen Passidomo spearheaded the package of “Live Healthy” bills (SB 7016, SB 7018, SB 330, and SB 1758) aimed at retaining and attracting healthcare workers to the state, increasing innovation in the industry, establishing behavioral health teaching hospitals and providing some services to Floridians with disabilities.

Although lawmakers negotiated how much money the initiative would cost, it received nearly unanimous support from both chambers. DeSantis has until March 27 to act on the bills.

Here is the breakdown of the funds attached to the initiative based on the legislation and staff analyses:

SB 7016: Health Care

The money dispersed through SB 7016, the bill carrying most of the funds, would be spent in a variety of ways from increasing the number of residencies so medical school graduates can finish their training in the state (which would cost $50 million) to expanding the telehealth minority maternity care program (which would cost more than $23 million).

Approximately 61% of the funds earmarked in the bill would go toward increasing the reimbursement rate service providers receive for Medicaid patients, meaning the amount of money Florida pays healthcare providers for taking patients covered by Medicaid. Pediatric and adult obstetrics physicians, dental service providers, private duty nursing services and occupational, physical and speech therapists would get a higher reimbursement rate.

Amid a shortage of healthcare workers, Florida also plans to broaden the tuition reimbursement assistance programs for people in medical fields, including dentists and social workers, based in rural and underserved areas. For example, primary care physicians could get up to $20,000 in a year to pay off their student loans, under the program. This portion of SB 7016 has a price tag of $38 million.

SB 7018: Health Care Innovation

The innovation component of the "Live Healthy" initiative establishes a 10-year loan program for projects that implement innovative technology, create workforce pathways, and increase public access to healthcare. A council within the Florida Department of Health would oversee the loan program. FDH would get $250,000 to kickstart the council before July and an additional million once the 2024-2025 fiscal year starts for the council's operations. Until 2033-2034, the Florida Legislature must pour $50 million each year into the loan fund.

Applicants approved for loans would have up to 10 years to pay the state back. The loan could cover up to half of the project costs or up to 80 percent if it would serve people in rural or underserved areas or those on Medicaid.

SB 330: Behavioral Health Teaching Hospitals

Florida needs 587 psychiatrists to meet the demand for mental health services in the state, according to the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration. SB 330 addresses the shortage by establishing a behavioral health teaching hospital designation for facilities to train mental health service providers, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, social workers and family and marriage counselors.

Although hospitals can apply for the designation, the bill outlines four hospitals and universities to serve as pilots: Tampa General Hospital in collaboration with the University of South Florida, UF Health Shands Hospital and UF Health Jacksonville in collaboration with the University of Florida and Jackson Memorial Hospital in collaboration with the University of Miami.

The bill has a $300 million award grant that would be distributed among the hospitals with the designation over three years. Additionally, each hospital could train up to 10 residents in behavioral health specialties. The funds set aside for the residency slots total $6,000,000. Each slot would get $150,000.

USF would also get an additional $5,000,000 to establish the Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce to produce research and policy analysis and create best practices for the training of mental health professionals.

SB 1758: Individuals with Disabilities

SB 1758 earmarks $38,852,223 to fund services for Floridians with disabilities on the waitlist for the iBudget waiver Medicaid program. The program provides at-home and community-based services for people with disabilities, but people who need the services and advocacy groups have raised concerns about the long waitlist. The average wait time for enrollment in the waiver program is 8.6 years, according to a staff analysis of the bill.

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