To view the report in PDF format, you first need to download the free Adobe Acrobat Viewer. The Acrobat Viewer will launch the file so that
you can see the document on your monitor and then print it. Download
Adobe Acrobat.
Download the Report
|
|
May 21, 2008
 SB 2534 Cover Florida Health Care Access Program
The legislation, signed into law on May 21, 2008, creates an exemption in the state
health insurance codes for faith-based health care cost sharing programs.
Such groups are now exempt from oversight by the states Office of
Insurance Regulation. The exemption applies to programs offered by
non-profit religious organizations that meet the following requirements:
-
Limit membership to those of the same religion
-
Act as an organizational clearing house for
information between members who have financial, physical, or medical
needs and those members with the ability to pay for the benefit of those
members in need
-
Provide for medical and financial needs of
members through payments directly from one member to another
-
Suggest amounts that members may voluntarily
give with no assumption of risk or promise to pay either among the
participants or between the participants
-
State clearly that the program is not an
insurance plan
The Cover Florida Health Care Access Program is
designed to provide affordable health care options for uninsured
residents of Florida between the ages of 19-64 who meet certain other
criteria. A Cover Florida plan entity must provide non-catastrophic
coverage and may provide catastrophic coverage, supplemental insurance,
prepaid health clinics, and discount medical plan product options to
enrollees. The Agency for Health Care Administration (agency) and the
Office of Insurance Regulation (office) are responsible for jointly
establishing and administering the Cover Florida Program. The agency and
the office are required to issue an invitation to negotiate no later than
July 1, 2008, to health insurers, health maintenance organizations (HMO),
health care provider-sponsored organizations, and health care districts.
The agency and the office are required to approve at least one Cover
Florida plan entity having an existing statewide provider network and may
approve at least one regional network plan in each Medicaid area.
|
OPEN MINDS