Senate: Medicaid managed care bill not up for negotiations

Jason Brodeur sought to increase the amount of money a person could receive by suing the government. Image via Colin Hackley/Florida Politics.

The Florida Senate on Thursday passed a bill (SB 1950) that makes administrative changes to the state’s Medicaid managed care program in advance of bidding out new contracts for the health care safety net program for the state’s poor, elderly and disabled.

Senate leaders told Florida Politics the Chamber is not willing to negotiate with the House and the Senate plan is a take-it-or-leave-it measure.

“The Senate likes the Senate bill,” Sen. Jason Brodeur said when asked about negotiations.

The House is slated to consider its Medicaid managed care bill (HB 7047) Friday.

Among other things, the bill places a cap on automatic enrollment in Medicaid managed care plans that have greater than 50% of regional market share. The bill also contains language that requires “essential providers” to sign contracts with Medicaid managed care plans on a regional or statewide basis, a move opposed by the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida.

The Legislature in 2011 passed a rewrite of the state’s Medicaid statutes, requiring most beneficiaries to enroll in a managed care plan. In 2013, the Medicaid managed long-term care program was launched. The Medicaid managed medical assistance program, which provides services to women and children, followed in 2014.

Current law requires the Medicaid contracts to be competitively bid in 11 regions in the state. Winning health plans are awarded multiyear contracts worth tens of billions of dollars.

Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) Secretary Simone Marstiller told lawmakers last fall that her agency wanted the Legislature to make changes to the program during the 2022 Session in advance of her agency beginning work on new Medicaid procurement.

Florida’s existing Medicaid managed care contracts expire Dec. 31, 2024.

AHCA wants to see the law updated before it begins working on the third Medicaid procurement later this year. Among other things, AHCA wants to eliminate the mandate for regional bids.

Senate President Pro Tempore Aaron Bean described the bill as a “meh” priority for the chamber.