Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

James CallApril 16, 2015

Growers may want to start planning to plant cannabis seeds. Whether the authorization will come under the Compassionate Medicinal Cannabis Act of 2014, or SPB 7066, which is moving in the Senate or under an amended bill is still unclear. Rep. Matt Gaetz, however, said Thursday that Florida “is on the back 9” in clearing […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 14, 2015

A Senate health care spending panel on Tuesday gave the nod to a telehealth bill but House Health and Human Services Committee Chairman Rep. Jason Brodeur says he’s not sure the Legislature needs to address the issue. The Senate health care spending panel tagged on two late filed amendments to the bill, CS/SB 478, by […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 9, 2015

Health insurers and HMOs may have won the battle in a House health care committee on Thursday but they may end up losing the war this session. The House Health and Human Services Committee approved a bill that would ban non-participating providers from balance billing patients in need of emergency care under, CS/HB 681. Additionally, […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 9, 2015

The House and Senate could be moving closer to agreement on a health care bill. The House Health Care Services Committee on Thursday tagged a strike-all amendment onto its direct primary care proposal, HB 7047, to include “medical tourism.” The move makes the bill near identical to a proposed committee bill that the Senate Health […]

Mitch PerryApril 8, 2015

Greetings from the Motel 6 off the Apalachee Parkway in Tallahassee, where things are getting increasingly hot in the Capitol. Literally. Wednesday’s temperatures are supposed to hover near 90 degrees, that’s not a record, but temps here — like in the Tampa Bay area —are consistently running about 7 or 8 degrees warmer than usual […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 7, 2015

The Senate Health Policy Committee on Tuesday delayed Department of Health Secretary John Armstrong‘s confirmation after he refused to answer Medicaid questions. Panel members asked him whether expanding Medicaid would improve Floridians’ health care outcomes or whether he supported the Senate’s alternative proposal to expand Medicaid. Sen. Aaron Bean asked Armstrong to return soon and […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 7, 2015

Less than a week after House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rep. Richard Corcoran complained that the Senate wouldn’t consider any of his chamber’s health care proposals the Senate Health Policy Committee will take up a bill on “direct primary care” when it meets Tuesday. The proposed bill — SB 7084 — incorporates the substance of HB […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 6, 2015

A move to prevent doctors and hospitals from balance billing insured patients who go out-of-network for emergency services and care appears dead for the session. The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee temporarily passed the measure — SB 516 — at its meeting this past week and the bill is not slated to be heard in […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 1, 2015

Doctors and insurers battled over balance billing in the Florida Legislature on Tuesday. While the House Appropriations Committee advanced a bill, CS/HB 681 by Rep. Carlos Trujillo that would prevent insured patients from being balanced bill by providers for emergency care and place into statutes reimbursement options the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee took a pass […]

James CallMarch 31, 2015

This day at the state Capitol lawmakers continue to clear their desks of items before getting down to serious budget work. They dealt with the contentious issues of marijuana, abortion and fracking before having to deal with the $4.2 billion of really contentious differences in the spending plans they are developing. • • • Sen. Garrett […]

Tag: Aaron Bean
Please stay aware ... and safe.

Five minutes with Matt Gaetz, talking FDA lies and being on the back 9 with medicinal marijuana

Telehealth bill moves in Senate, will House take it up?

House panel OKs balance billing ban, sponsor says unlikely to pass this year

House amends direct primary care to (almost) mirror new Senate health care train

Mitch Perry Report for 4.8.15 — Medicaid expansion. Again

Medicaid questions stall John Armstrong’s confirmation in Senate

Senate unveils health care train that includes a priority of House health care bill

CFO’s priority bill on out-of-network emergency care killed in Senate?

House OKs, Senate delays balance billing ban for emergency care

The day that was in Florida politics — March 31