Senate health plan now would allow enrollees to go straight to federal health exchanges

The Florida Senate will alter its health care access proposal to allow those who would qualify under an expanded Medicaid program to purchase their health plans from the federal health exchange instead of requiring the newly insured to enroll in a Medicaid HMO.

In a news release, Senate Health Policy Committee Chairman Sen. Aaron Bean said he heard from many senators and House members who were concerned with a provision in the initial bill that would have required the freshly insured to enroll in a Medicaid managed care plan while Florida awaits approval from the federal government on its proposal, officially called FHIX — or the Florida Health Insurance Exchange.

Bean said the change addresses the potential loss of an insurance subsidy for some people on the health insurance exchange if the state does expand Medicaid coverage.

“This legislation represents a continued effort by the Senate to advance solutions and build consensus around a fiscally responsible expansion of health care coverage,” Senate President Andy Gardiner said in the news release. “We look forward to the work ahead and to furthering this important discussion in the days leading up to an during our upcoming special session.

The Florida Legislature meets in Special Session from Monday to June 20 to create a budget for state fiscal year 2015-16 as well as address a number of health care-related issues.

In addition to changing the requirement that they enroll in a Medicaid HMO after initial expansion the Senate also has changed the work requirements.

At press time the amendment the Senate is offering to its health care plan was not available. The House of Representatives did not return emails for comments on the proposed changes.

The Senate FHIX plan is modeled after a plan championed by the business group A Healthy Florida Works. Spokesperson for the group, Jennifer Fennell notes that the changes “demonstrat(e) a continued commitment to finding a solution to Florida’s health care crisis.

“A Healthy Florida Works “fully supports the Senate’s FHIX compromise,” Fennell said in the release. “A fiscally-responsible approach that covers more people is the right thing to do for Florida businesses and families.”