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Guest AuthorDecember 13, 2017

Throughout my professional career, I have been dedicated to the continued growth and enhancement of quality long-term care in Florida. A key element of quality care is maintaining a sense of independence among the elders we serve, a priority that is fostered by Florida’s long-standing commitment to helping them remain in the least restrictive setting […]

Guest AuthorMarch 27, 2017

This legislative session, a group of lawmakers with a shared free-market philosophy are working to eliminate an important health care planning process called the Certificate of Need (CON) program. They believe by deregulating health care, costs would be reduced and quality would be improved. We disagree. While we believe our legislators want to do the […]

Drew WilsonMarch 6, 2017

The Florida branch of the conservative group Americans for Prosperity announced its 2017 legislative priorities Friday; dismantling Enterprise Florida is on the top of the list. “In 2015 the Governor boldly stated that ‘taxpayers are better investors than government.’ We completely agree. That’s why we’re calling on both chambers to put politics aside and work […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 3, 2017

On Friday, Florida State Sen. Rob Bradley filed a bill to repeal the state’s controversial Certificate of Need program. And Gov. Rick Scott supports the measure. Senate Bill 676 would eliminate the Certificate of Need (CON) Program at the Agency for Health Care Administration. Currently, health care providers require a certificate of need prior before building or converting […]

Drew WilsonFebruary 1, 2016

Bills that would iron out rules for direct primary care contracts and encourage healthcare companies to give free health care to low-income Floridians passed the Senate Committee on Health Policy Monday. SB 1144, sponsored by Niceville Republican Sen. Don Gaetz, would allow new medical facilities to bypass a lengthy review process known as “certificate of […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 9, 2015

A House health care subcommittee moved a bill to eliminate “certificates of need” for all hospital services. The bill does not eliminate CON for nursing homes or hospices where there has been a flurry of interest after a long-time moratorium on the construction of new nursing beds was lifted. HB 31A was opposed by the […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 5, 2015

While the Senate pushed increasing access to health care for the uninsured during the 2015 Legislative Session, the Florida House steadfastly refused to discuss it, saying the underlying problems in the health care system and Florida’s high uninsured population were because of the steep costs of health care. After debating the Senate FHIX proposal for […]

Christine Jordan SextonMay 31, 2015

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The 2015 Special Session-A kicks off Monday. Here are five questions to consider going into the Special Session, which was called by House Speaker Steve Crisafulli and Senate President Andy Gardiner despite not having reached any agreement on the budget or spending in the month since the regular session came to a crashing end without […]

Christine Jordan SextonMay 20, 2015

Members of Rick Scott’s blue-ribbon health care commission swam in data Wednesday, but they made clear they want more information and took aim at hospitals for not voluntarily providing all the information requested of them. Commission on Healthcare and Hospital Funding member Marili Cancio Johnson asked the panel’s staff to list hospitals that didn’t respond […]

Christine Jordan SextonMay 15, 2015

Nine days after announcing the dates, the Florida Legislature issued the proclamation for the special session. The call is wide open, including Medicaid expansion, elimination of certificate of need law, direct primary care, state group health insurance changes,the budget and conforming bills from the 2015 regular legislative session and tax relief. As previously announced, the […]

Tag: certificate of need
Image via Palatka Main Street.

Deborah Franklin: Protect Florida elders by keeping nursing home certificate-of-need process

John Couris: Open letter to the community from Jupiter Medical Center

Dismantling Enterprise Florida is a top priority for AFP-FL

Rob Bradley seeks to repeal Florida’s Certificate of Need program

Senate committee passes 2 key bills expanding health care access

House OKs bill to eliminate CONs for hospitals

House prepares to deliberate its health care “cost containment” bills next week

Five questions heading into Special Session

Rick Scott’s healthcare panel unhappy with hospitals’ responses to data call

Special session called by Senate and House and it’s wide open on health care, budget