The bill amends the Florida Health Choices Program, renaming it the Florida Employee Health Choices Program, and introduces several enhancements aimed at improving access to affordable health insurance for both employers and employees. Notable changes include the introduction of individual coverage health reimbursement arrangements, which empower employers to allocate health care dollars directly to employees for their health plan selections. The bill also revises definitions, purposes, and components of the program, including eligibility and participation requirements for vendors, as well as the types of health insurance products available for purchase.

In addition to these changes, the bill deletes certain pricing transparency requirements and the option for risk pooling, while establishing the Florida Employee Health Choices, Inc. to administer the new program. This corporation will create a secure website for consumers to access information about available health products and services, and it will be governed by a 15-member board of directors with a clear appointment process to avoid conflicts of interest. The bill also introduces exemptions from existing insurance regulations, allowing the corporation to operate without certain licensing requirements, and mandates criteria for vendor participation while ensuring the confidentiality of enrollees' information. The timeline for annual reporting to the Governor and legislative leaders is updated to begin in the 2026-2027 fiscal year, with the overall goal of enhancing health care access and flexibility while maintaining program integrity.

Statutes affected:
S 1034 Filed: 408.910, 409.821