Governor Scott Requests Health Insurer Data For Hospital Funding Commission By May 18; All Florida Agencies Asked to Prepare Continuation Budgets

Above:  Colodny Fass’ Claude Mueller Notes Governor’s Health Insurer Data Request Today

 

Moving forward on his recently created Commission on Healthcare and Hospital Funding (“Commission”), Florida Governor Rick Scott sent a letter to hospital and health care insurance executives yesterday, March 13, 2015, in which he requested information on services, profits, costs and patient outcomes.

The information, which is due by May 18, 2015, will be used by the Commission in its charge to investigate the role of taxpayer funding for hospitals, insurers and healthcare providers.

To read the Governor’s letter, click here. 

To view the specific information being requested of health insurers, health maintenance organizations and preferred provider organizations, click here.

The Commission is scheduled to hold its first meeting on May 20 at the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration in Tallahassee from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (ET).  To participate via teleconference, call:  1-888-670-3525, code:  116 985 4595#

To view the meeting agenda, click here.

 

Governor Asks All Florida Agencies to Prepare Continuation Budget

In preparation for the upcoming Special Session expected to begin June 1, Governor Scott also sent all agency heads a letter and memo today, May 14, in which he asked for their assistance in identifying critical services necessary to continue existing government services past the end of Florida’s fiscal year on June 30, 2015, in addition to recurring appropriations from fiscal year 2014-2015.

Governor Scott specified that agencies’ proposed continuation budgets should  ” . . . exclude(s) controversial and divisive issues like Medicaid expansion or using Florida tax dollars to fund the federal Low Income Pool program.” 

“Critical Service Needs” as identified by the Governor’s Office of Policy and Budget are:

1)  Fiscal year 2014-2015 operating deficits in the Departments of Corrections, Juvenile Justice, Health, and Children and Families, and other funding shortfalls adopted by the most recent consensus estimating conferences;

2)  Additional kindergarten through 12th grade students as determined by the April 13, 2015 enrollment conference with state funds maintained at the fiscal year 2014-15 level through the Florida Education Finance Program;

3)  Medicaid expenditures based on the March 4, 2015 Social Services Estimating Conference;

4)  Florida Department of Transportation Work Program;

5)  Economic development and housing programs at the fiscal year 2014-2015 funding level;

6)  Minimum operating requirements necessary to continue emergency management and other current state services;

7)  Fixed Capital Outlay for critical maintenance and repairs of state-owned and public school facilities;

8)  Fixed Capital Outlay necessary to continue ongoing construction projects for special facilities;

9)  Matching funds necessary for federally declared disasters and National Guard facilities;

10)  Environmental initiatives consistent with Amendment One;

11)  Actuarially-recommended rates for the Florida Retirement System;

12)  Repayment of the final transfer to the Budget Stabilization Fund; and

13)  Other necessary technical adjustments that have no resulting policy implications.

 

 

Should you have any questions or comments, please contact Claude Mueller (cmueller@colodnyfass.com or +1 850 701 3112) Colodny Fass.

 

 

 

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