CS for SB 306 amends Florida’s Medicaid managed care law to strengthen network adequacy, provider access, and transparency requirements for Medicaid managed care plans. The bill directs the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) to require plans to maintain sufficient provider networks by region, ensure access to care during state holidays and outside regular business hours, and keep accurate, publicly available electronic provider directories. It also requires quarterly reporting on primary care assignments, systematic testing of provider databases, and searchable online publication of drug formularies and prior authorization information.
The bill further addresses behavioral health access, pharmacy access, and care coordination for children in the custody of the Department of Children and Families. It requires electronic acceptance of prior authorization requests, updates to drug lists within 24 hours of changes, and specific provisions for hemophilia treatment through the state’s hemophilia disease management program. For children in state care, managed care plans must maintain complete medical, dental, and behavioral health encounter data and share it under an interagency agreement to support coordinated case management and follow-up on medically necessary services.
The bill amends section 409.967, Florida Statutes, which governs managed care plan accountability in the statewide Medicaid program. Its practical effect is to impose more detailed contract requirements on Medicaid managed care plans and to expand AHCA’s oversight responsibilities over provider network adequacy, directory accuracy, behavioral health access, pharmacy information, and data reporting. It also creates a statutory definition of “outside regular business hours,” which will guide access standards for primary care appointments. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and affects Medicaid managed care plans, providers, enrollees, and state agencies involved in child welfare and health care oversight.
The bill appears to have broad support in the Senate, with unanimous or near-unanimous committee and floor votes at each recorded stage. The vote history shows strong bipartisan approval and no recorded opposition in committee or on third reading. The overall sentiment reflected in the legislative record is favorable, suggesting the bill was viewed as a consumer-access and program-accountability measure rather than a controversial policy change.
There is little visible contention in the available record, since no committee transcript objections are provided and all recorded votes were unanimous. Any potential points of debate would likely center on the operational burden placed on Medicaid managed care plans, including stricter directory maintenance, faster formulary updates, electronic prior authorization requirements, and the mandate that at least half of primary care providers offer after-hours appointments. Another possible area of concern is the expanded data-sharing requirement for children in DCF custody, which may raise administrative, privacy, and implementation questions for plans and agencies.