2009 FMA / OCMS Legislative Agenda
Issues to support:
Medicaid to Medicare
Increase the reimbursement rate for Medicaid to that of Medicare.
Managed Care
Expand the legislation that passed in 2008 to require insurance companies to honor assignment for out-of-network physicians. Pass legislation that would prohibit insurance companies from denying claims which they previously authorized. Provide transparency and guidelines for any type of physician rating system.
ER Sovereign Immunity
Support legislation that would provide sovereign immunity to physicians who provide mandated treatment to patients in emergency rooms.
Expert Witness Certificate
Support legislation that requires expert witnesses to become licensed in Florida and clarifies that giving expert testimony is the practice of medicine.
Prescription Drug Monitoring Plan
Support legislation to implement a mandatory prescription drug monitoring plan in Florida.
Florida Patient Self-Referral Act
Support legislation that would exempt physician owned sleep centers from the direct supervision requirement of the Florida patient self-referral act.
Podiatry
Support legislation that would conform current state statutes to the anatomical training and expertise of podiatrists, thereby limiting their treatments to the foot and ankle.
Off-site Emergency Rooms
Support legislation that would impose a moratorium on the construction of any additional off-site emergency departments in the State of Florida.
Florida Kidcare
Support the efforts of the Florida Pediatric Society to legislatively fix the Florida Kidcare Statute.
Prostate Cancer Screening
Support legislation that would require health insurers to cover an annual screening for prostate cancer for men over 40.
Student Health Insurance
Support legislation that would require health insurance for each student in a state university in Florida.
Mental Health Parity
Support legislation that would require insurance companies to provide the same coverage for mental illness as they do for other health care problems.
Fetal Alcohol Abuse
Support legislation that would provide for voluntary admission of expectant mothers for alcohol abuse treatment services.
NICA
Support legislation that would expand NICA coverage to brachial plexus injuries as long as there is no increase in the nonparticipating physician assessment.
Alliance For A Healthy Florida
Support legislation that would impose a one dollar increase in Florida’s cigarette excise tax with the revenues to be used to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates to Medicare levels, to provide additional funding for the KidCare program, and to provide additional Medicaid services.
Primary Seat Belt Law
Enact legislation that would make seat belt violations a primary offense in Florida.
Issues to Oppose:
Scope of Practice Expansions
Continue to oppose all scope of practice expansions including naturopaths, ARNPs, pharmacists, optometrists, psychologists, podiatrists, direct access to physical therapists, audiologists and speech language pathologists.
Protect Ability to Self Insure
Oppose legislation that will take away a physician’s ability to self insure or that will make it more difficult for a physician to meet the financial responsibility requirements for licensure.
Foreign Physician Licensure
Oppose any legislation that allows a physician to practice in Florida without meeting the same requirements as all other applicants.
Physician Profile Issues
Oppose any legislation that makes the laws relating to profiles more onerous.
Hearing Interpreters
Oppose any legislation that increases the cost of hearing interpreters.
Fabre Changes
Oppose any legislation changing current law relating to the Fabre doctrine.
Physician Supervision Issues
Protect advances we have made relating to physician supervision of nurses and PAs.
Arbitration
Oppose any changes to the statutes/rules governing arbitration that would jeopardize the effectiveness of the FMA created physician-patient arbitration form.
Vaccinations
Oppose any weakening of the requirements for childhood vaccinations in Florida.