Lake-Sumter Medical Society

March 11, 2008:

The Healthcare Council of the FL House released a report titled "Marketplace for Affordable Health Insurance."

The focus of this report is "to offer an explanation of markets and market principles; to identify some practical considerations for applying these principles; and to outline some ideas for creating a market environment that can improve access, moderate increasing costs and enhance quality of health care in Florida."

You may find the report by clicking here.

Legislative Issues

As the 2008 Florida Legislative Session nears, LSMS members should familiarize themselves with the issues we will be supporting as well as those we will be opposing. To read fact sheets on any of the following issues, click here.

Priority Issues to pass this year:

1. Increases in the reimbursement rate for Medicaid
2. Managed Care legislation to require MCOs to accept a valid assignment of benefits, place a fair time limit on the “look-back” provision, and prohibit silent PPOs
3. Sovereign immunity for PRN and IPN
4. ER Sovereign Immunity
5. Empower AHCA to investigate hospital department closures
6. Expert witness certificate legislation
7. Increase in cigarette excise tax for a healthy Florida

Issues to Support:

1. Primary seat belt law
2. Moratorium on construction of off-site emergency departments
3. Fix Florida Kidcare Statute
4. Annual screening for prostate cancer

Priority Issues to Oppose:

1. Scope of practice expansions
2. Any legislation that diminishes the right to self insure
3. Any legislation not requiring foreign physicians to meet same licensure requirements as all other applicants
4. Any legislation that makes profiling laws more onerous
5. Any legislation increasing cost of hearing interpreters
6. Any changes to the current Fabre doctrine
7. Physician supervision issues

Online Sunshine - the Florida Legislature
Online Sunshine - the Florida Senate

2007 Legislative Bulletins

FMA Legislative/Regulatory

Call, write, fax and email your Lake and Sumter County Public Officials:

Clicking on the name brings you to the web site of this legislator

Local Officials:

Don't know in which Congressional district you reside? Find out on the
AMA web site