The proposed Healthy Florida Act aims to create a comprehensive health care plan for all Florida residents, regardless of immigration status, through the establishment of the Florida Health Plan. This plan will provide a wide array of health care services, including dental, vision, mental health, reproductive care, and long-term care, while emphasizing patient choice, affordability, and preventive care. The Florida Health Board will oversee the plan, managing enrollment, negotiating financial arrangements, and ensuring timely access to care. Key provisions include eligibility criteria for residents, protection of private data, and the prohibition of cost-sharing requirements for enrollees, ensuring that health care providers cannot bill patients for covered services.
Additionally, the bill outlines the governance structure of the Florida Health Board, which will consist of diverse members and be responsible for hiring a chief executive officer, ensuring compliance with health care standards, and conducting investigations. It establishes regional planning boards to recommend health standards and prepare budgets, while also creating an Ombudsman Office for Patient Advocacy and a Conflict-of-Interest Committee. The bill mandates regular updates to the Legislature on the plan's implementation and financing, with the goal of making the Florida Health Plan operational within two years after July 1, 2025. Once operational, no other health insurance policies covering services provided by the Florida Health Plan may be sold in the state, with the act set to take effect on July 1, 2025, contingent upon the passage of related legislation.