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SB 1156

STATE GOVERNMENT-TECH

104th Regular Session Introduced by John Curran

Florida expands HHAMFC: raises daily hours cap to 12, allows higher reimbursement, refines care-specific training, and strengthens oversight/data reporting.

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Bill Summary · SB 1156

Summary — SB 1156 (Florida)

Title: Home Health Aide for Medically Fragile Children (HHAMFC) Program
Introduced by: Senator Harrell
Status: Committee substitute considered; Rule 3‑9(a) / Re‑referred to Assignments; takes effect upon becoming law

Purpose / Intent

Amend Florida law governing the Home Health Aide for Medically Fragile Children (HHAMFC) program to (1) change training requirements for family caregivers who may be paid as HHAMFCs, (2) alter Medicaid reimbursement and utilization limits, and (3) increase program oversight and data collection to assess safety and hospitalization outcomes.

Key provisions

  • Training requirements
    • Removes the statutory 85‑hour minimum training program requirement.
    • Reduces minimum theoretical nursing instruction from 40 hours to 20 hours.
    • Converts the previously required 20 hours of basic nursing skills training and 16 hours of clinical training from minimums to maximums (i.e., these are no longer mandated minimum hours).
    • Requires training (including supervised practical training) to be specific/tailored to the child’s care needs.
    • Requires HHAMFCs to complete an approved training program and for the employing home health agency to validate the HHAMFC before services begin; agencies must ensure HIV/AIDS training and current CPR certification.
  • Medicaid payment and utilization
    • Raises the Medicaid daily utilization cap for HHAMFC services from 8 hours per day to 12 hours per day.
    • States that the current $25 per hour reimbursement is a minimum (allowing higher rates).
    • Directs AHCA to seek federal approval to permit providers to receive reimbursement and to request that federal rules permit disregarding HHAMFC income when determining public assistance (Medicaid/food/temporary cash) eligibility.
  • Oversight, reporting & data
    • Requires managed care plans to provide AHCA data to compare hospitalization rates and extent for children served by HHAMFCs versus RNs/LPNs.
    • Requires home health agencies to report defined “adverse incidents” involving HHAMFC care within 48 hours; AHCA must include adverse‑incident data in its annual program assessment.
    • AHCA must submit necessary federal requests and begin any required rulemaking within 60 days of enactment.
  • Technical / timing
    • Adds a non‑statutory direction to revise bill language references to the act’s effective date.
    • Effective upon becoming law.

Who is affected

  • Medically fragile children (eligible relatives age ≤21) and their family caregivers (HHAMFCs).
  • Home health agencies that train, validate, employ, and bill for HHAMFCs.
  • Florida Medicaid program and managed care plans (budgetary and reporting impacts).
  • AHCA (responsible for rulemaking, federal submissions, data collection, and annual assessments).

Fiscal and procedural notes

  • The bill is projected to have a significant negative fiscal impact on Florida Medicaid (no dollar figure provided in the available fiscal notes).
  • AHCA must act quickly (60 days) to pursue federal approvals and initiate rulemaking after the act takes effect.
  • The bill replaces certain prescriptive training hour mandates with more flexible, care‑specific training standards while expanding service hours and opening the door to higher reimbursement rates.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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