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Florida PSC Encourages Preparedness and Readiness for 2024 Hurricane Season

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Tuesday, May 21, 2024

 

MEDIA CONTACT: (850) 413-6482

 

Florida PSC Encourages Preparedness and Readiness

for 2024 Hurricane Season

 TALLAHASSEE — Hurricane season, beginning June 1, is quickly approaching. With a more active than normal season predicted, the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) ensures the state’s investor-owned electric utilities are prepared for the 2024 storm season.

Today, Florida utilities reviewed updates to their storm response and recovery procedures at the PSC’s annual Hurricane Preparedness Workshop. Each review included the current status on PSC-mandated storm preparedness initiatives:

  • Facility inspections, maintenance, and repairs;
  • Vegetation management;
  • Flooding and storm surge mitigation;
  • Wooden pole inspections; and
  • Coordination with other utilities, government, and community groups.

“The PSC’s storm preparedness rules help Florida’s electric utilities continually improve their storm readiness, but customers also need to be prepared,” said PSC Chairman Mike La Rosa. “To assist customers, the Commission has posted Customer Storm Preparation and Recovery Information under Hot Topics on our website, including storm planning and recovery tips.”

Planning tools include the PSC’s “Hurricane House,” with 19 preparation tips for home and family, from planning an evacuation route to dealing with downed power lines. Also included is a home electric connection graphic, showing who—the utility or the customer—is responsible for repairs, as well as utility storm hardening reports.

Following each named storm that impacts our state, the PSC aggregates the available data related to power outages and publishes this information on the PSC website.

Today’s workshop presentations are available under Hot Topics on the PSC website.

For additional information, visit www.floridapsc.com.

Follow the PSC on X and LinkedIn.

Subscribe to the Commission’s YouTube channel for Consumer Tips and PSAs.

Team Biden-Harris Enters June Ahead of Trump with $192M War Chest

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2024

Team Biden-Harris Enters June Ahead of Trump with $192M War Chest

$192 Million in Cash on Hand Outpaces Trump’s COH, Highest Total of Any Democratic Candidate in History at This Point in the Cycle

Trump Focuses on Billionaire Donors, While Team Biden-Harris Shows Consistent Strength With Grassroots Base

Fundraising Fueling Battleground State Operations, While Trump Absent On the Ground

Team Biden-Harris Raised More than $473 Million In Year Since Launch, $51 Million in April

Today, Team Biden-Harris announced a $192 million war chest, the highest total of any Democratic candidate in history at this point in the cycle. Team Biden-Harris raised more than $51 million in April 2024, continuing to build on the steady and historic work of the Team Biden-Harris fundraising operation. Team Biden-Harris’ April haul and war chest continues to outpace any Democratic candidate in history at this point in the cycle.

While Team Trump has focused nearly entirely on courting billionaire donors maxing out early in the cycle instead of building a durable grassroots fundraising program, Team Biden-Harris’ April haul was driven in large part by continued strength and durability in our grassroots network. A majority of April’s raise came from grassroots donors, and one million more supporters were added to our email list in the month alone. This fundraising is powering a growing battleground state operation and a historic paid media campaign focused on the voters who will decide this election. With six months until Election Day, the Biden-Harris campaign is driving ahead with the enthusiasm, strength, and historic resources needed to win a close election in November.

“April’s haul reflects strong, consistent grassroots enthusiasm for reelecting Joe and Kamala, and is giving us the resources necessary to invest in opening offices, hiring organizers and communicating across our battleground states in order to mobilize the coalition of voters who will decide this election,” said Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Biden-Harris 2024 Campaign Manager. “Trump’s operation continues to burn through cash and lag behind our growing and aggressive campaign, with no ground game and no demonstrable interest in talking to the voters they need to win. We’re taking nothing for granted, but only our campaign is doing the required work every single day to earn voters’ support this November.”

“Democrats across the country are fired up to re-elect President Biden and Vice President Harris – just look at the numbers: we have more cash on hand than any other Democratic candidate in history,” said DNC Chair Jaime Harrison. “Our grassroots donors understand the stakes of this election, they’re motivated to give and volunteer, and they look like America. It is their passion, their strength, and their belief in our country that will carry us over the finish line and lead us to victory this November.”

Let’s do a deeper dive on the numbers:

Team Biden-Harris’ grassroots operation in April reflects strength across the campaign, DNC, and its joint fundraising committees:

  • April was Team Biden-Harris’ strongest month for recurring donors to date – with recurring donors contributing over $5.5M in revenue in a single month.
  • Team Biden-Harris grew its active email list by another 1M subscribers from March to April continuing to build upon its universe, which is already the largest in the history of Democratic politics.
  • Since launch, 96% of all our donations were under $200 and 1.8 million donors have made nearly 4.9 million contributions.
  • Additionally, we now have more than 225,000 sustaining donors who have committed to donating every month – over 1.5 times the amount at this point in the 2020 cycle.
  • Donors hailed from all 50 states and all walks of life, with teachers and nurses as some of the most common occupations among donors.

Donald Trump’s campaign is selling the American people out to billionaire oil and gas executives to fund his campaign – and his other issues:

  • Donald Trump’s fundraising was fueled by his billionaire buddies donating max out checks.
  • Trump is personally begging donors to max out their contributions to his campaign and is effectively promising donors whatever policies they want if they donate to his campaign.
    • Last week the Washington Post reported Trump promising oil and gas executives  whatever they want in exchange for donations – including oil lobbyists writing executive orders for him to sign.
  • Trump is falling behind Joe Biden with small donors and has spent more than $75 million on personal issues, instead of talking to the voters who will decide this election.

Unlike Team Trump, Team Biden-Harris’ April haul is going toward the efforts needed to reach and win the voters who will decide this election:

  • More than 150 coordinated offices.
  • Over 500 coordinated staff in battleground states and increased organizing presence in the communities that will decide this election.
  • $14 million ad campaign targeting voters across battleground states during the month of May, including investments into African American and Hispanic media.

Donald Trump and the RNC have closed battleground state offices, they have no organizing programs, negligible battleground staff presence, and virtually zero ads.

President Biden’s 2020 campaign raised over $1 billion, the most money of any presidential campaign in history, which included $700 million online driven by small-dollar donations – also the most in history. With President Biden at the top of the ticket, ActBlue saw over 133 million separate donations in the 2020 cycle with 71% being first-time donors.

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Paid for by Biden for President

Senators Torres and Stewart Call for Water Project Budget Security

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STATEMENT: Senators Torres and Stewart Call for Water Project Budget Security

Orlando, Fla. – The City of Orlando has recently announced an increase to stormwater fees for homeowners who are already dealing with a property insurance crisis. This recent announcement highlights why it is imperative that Governor DeSantis secures water project funding for Central Florida, an area which has experienced tremendous growth over the last several years.

“Homeowners are getting hit from all sides right now, for years we have proposed appropriation projects to help our Central Florida communities deal with storm water and sewer issues” said Senator Victor Torres (D-Orlando). “We have walked through knee deep water in our communities, and seen firsthand how our population growth has affected our water system. Now we are calling for the Governor to step up and secure state support for our water projects such as the Whitted Neighborhood Water System project which would bring $1,450,000 to update the entire sewer system for a community struggling with flooding.”

“Securing funding for sewer and storm water projects for our communities has been an important priority of our Central Florida delegation. Having the state fund much needed renovations to our water systems will help reduce the financial burden placed on residents for these kinds of upgrades. One of my projects will allocate $750,000 to Belle Isle for storm water upgrades to help prevent flooding worsened by outdated drainage systems,” said Senator Linda Stewart (D-Orlando).

Florida Democrats Commemorate Cuban Independence Day

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2024

CONTACT:
[email protected]

FLORIDA DEMOCRATS COMMEMORATE CUBAN INDEPENDENCE DAY

Tallahassee, FL — May 20th is Cuban Independence Day. As Cuban Americans in Florida and all over the world commemorate their Independence Day, the Florida Democratic Party released the following statement:

“In 1902, Cubans fought to secure independence and gave birth to a Republic. On Cuban Independence Day, we extend our support and solidarity with the Cuban people to continue the fight for a free Cuba,” said FDP Chair Nikki Fried.

“Sadly, Fidel Castro and the Communist Cuban regime stole the liberty of every Cuban and Cuba is no longer free. Today, an authoritarian regime under the heavy hands of Raul Castro and Miguel Díaz-Canel still oppresses its people and denies them their right to a dignified life.

“Today, we honor the people of Cuba and the political prisoners in the island by remembering the words of Cuban independence hero, Jose Marti: ‘When there are many men without decorum, there are always others who themselves possess the decorum of many men. These are the ones who rebel with terrible strength against those who rob nations of their liberty, which is to rob men of their decorum. Embodied in those men are thousands of men, a whole people, human dignity.’

“The Cuban people deserve a government that peacefully upholds liberties, religious freedoms, human rights, and democratic values, and the Florida Democrats support the Cuban people’s quest to achieve that vision.”

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OIR Provides Update on Florida’s Strengthening Property Insurance Market

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ICYMI: OIR Provides Update on Florida’s Strengthening Property Insurance Market

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) issued an update on the continued strengthening of Florida’s property and casualty insurance market, including that property insurance rate filings for 2024 show a downward trend for the first time in years, indicating the continued stabilization of the property insurance market. This news is a result of the continued prioritization of meaningful reforms to Florida’s property insurance market by Governor DeSantis, members of the Financial Services Commission, and the Florida Legislature.

The news follows the signing of House Bill 1611 by Governor DeSantis which institutes additional consumer protections to ensure OIR has the tools and authority necessary to maintain accountability within the market.

“As Insurance Commissioner, my top priority has been increasing protection for Florida’s consumers and today’s announcement demonstrates Governor DeSantis’ ongoing commitment to ensuring a strengthened and reliable insurance market for policyholders,” said Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky. “I want to thank Governor DeSantis and bill sponsors Senator Trumbull and Representative Stevenson for their continued leadership and support as we work to regulate one of the most complex insurance markets in the world.”

Market Update

OIR continues to see overall market stabilization following the historic legislative reforms of 2022 and 2023 that enhanced protections for consumers, strengthened Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, and encouraged investment by insurers and reinsurers by providing clarity to the market and the risk they underwrite.

Rate Filings: Rate filings for 2024 show a slight trend downward for the first time in years, indicating stabilization of the property insurance market. Ten companies have filed a zero percent increase and at least eight companies have filed a rate decrease to take effect in 2024.

Reinsurance: The 2023 reinsurance market responded positively to these reforms. Early signs from the 2024 reinsurance purchasing season show further positive indications. Reinsurance is a direct and significant cost to consumers and relief in this area is a significant sign that the reforms are working.

Financial Strength: After years of consecutive underwriting losses, the insurers saw overall stability with many companies reporting a net profit in 2023.

Market Snapshot: As of Q4 2023, there are approximately 7.45 million residential insurance policies in force in the Florida property market.

  • 81% of those policies are written by admitted insurers, as opposed to Surplus Lines companies or Citizens Property Insurance Corporation.
  • Eight new companies have been approved to write homeowners policies in Florida since the reforms, and an additional company was acquired to expand its footprint in the state.

Citizens Property Insurance Corporation: Approximately 389k policies have been taken out of Citizens from January 2023 through March 2024.

Florida Leadership: Other states are looking at recent and historical Florida’s legislative reforms to strengthen their own markets.

  • HI (CAT Fund), GA (tort reform), LA (tort reform), are examples.
  • Florida has recently presented its reforms as a model at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Market Research: OIR conducts market research across all lines of business, and partners with universities throughout the state to explore innovative ways to improve market outcomes and inform policy decisions.

Market Conduct: Multiple insurers have been held accountable for behavior that is in violation of Florida law.

The full market update can be found here.

House Bill 1611, signed by the Governor, enacts additional regulatory and consumer protection measures that further increase oversight and accountability in Florida’s property insurance market by:

  • Requiring insurers and insurer groups to file a specified supplemental data report, including zip code level data, on a monthly basis beginning January 1, 2025.
  • Prohibiting insurers from canceling and nonrenewing policies covering dwellings and residential properties damaged as a result of hurricanes or wind losses within 90 days after the dwelling or residential property has been repaired.
  • Including additional entities to be subject to OIR’s required market conduct examinations.
  • Requiring justification if certain models are used in rate filings to demonstrate that filed rates are reasonable, adequate, and fair.
  • Eliminating the statutory provision that allows Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (Citizens) to charge up to 50 percent above the established Citizens rate for policyholders whose coverage was last provided by an insurer determined to be unsound or place into receivership.

House Bill 1611 is the latest piece of legislation intended to strengthen consumer protections and OIR’s market regulation efforts. Following the passage of historic legislative reform, OIR has greater ability to enforce regulatory authority and has taken actions to increase market regulation compliance, including:

  • Initiating more than 50 market conduct investigations following Hurricane Ian to evaluate aspects of the claims handling process.
  • Publishing a quarterly Insurer Compliance Report to provide ongoing updates on OIR’s market regulation efforts, including recent filings and regulatory actions for companies found in violations of the state’s consumer protections and claims handling practices.

A listing of OIRs recent market regulation actions can be found here.

About the OIR

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) has primary responsibility for regulation, compliance, and enforcement of statutes related to the business of insurance and the monitoring of industry markets. For more information about OIR, please visit our website or follow us on X @FLOIR_comm.

FDOT: Upcoming Public Meeting: Fiske Boulevard (S.R. 519) Improvements

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For Immediate Release
May 20, 2024

Contact: Public Information Office
386-943-5593

FDOT-D5COMM@dot.state.fl.us

 

Upcoming Public Meeting for Fiske Boulevard (S.R. 519) Improvements
Meeting will be offered in person and online

 

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will hold a public meeting regarding project plans on Fiske Boulevard (State Road (S.R.) 519) from Barbara Jenkins Street to King Street (S.R. 520) (FPID No. 451310-1) and at Levitt Parkway/Lakemoor Boulevard (FPID No. 450417-1) on Thursday, May 23, at 5:30 p.m.

The purpose of these projects is to enhance pedestrian and vehicle safety along the corridor. Work includes adding a concrete median traffic separator and a pedestrian-activated midblock crossing (FPID No. 451310-1). The project also will add a new traffic signal at the intersection of Fiske Boulevard and Levitt Parkway/Lakemoor Boulevard. (FPID No. 450417-1).

The Department is offering multiple ways for the community to participate in the meeting. All participants, regardless of platform they choose, will participate in the same live meeting.

FDOT encourages community involvement and is offering this public meeting in a hybrid format to provide more ways to participate. All attendees, regardless of which platform they choose, will receive the same information.

In-Person Open House Option: Participants may attend in person by going McLarty Park Community Center, 790 Barton Blvd., Rockledge, FL 32955 anytime between time 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. to view a looping presentation and project displays, speak with project team members, and submit comments or questions. If attending in person, please remember to follow all safety and sanitation guidelines. If you are feeling unwell, please consider attending the meeting virtually.

Virtual Option: Interested persons may join over the Internet from a computer, tablet or mobile device at 5:30 p.m. For this option, advance registration is required by visiting https://fdot.cc/Fiske_Blvd_Improvements.  Once registered, participants will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting online. If using a mobile device, use the GoToWebinar app to be able to view the presentation and submit comments. If joining online, please allow adequate time to log in to view the presentation in its entirety.

Those who cannot attend the meeting may view all meeting materials, including the presentation, and provide comment through the project websites at www.cflroads.com/project/451310-1 and www.cflroads.com/project/450417-1. You may also contact FDOT Project Manager Kevin Powell directly at 386-943-5425 or [email protected] to receive project documents.

Public participation is solicited without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, or family status. Persons wishing to express their concerns relative to FDOT compliance with Title VI may do so by contacting Melissa McKinney, FDOT District Five Title VI Coordinator, at [email protected].

Persons who require accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or persons who require translation services (free of charge) should contact Kevin Powell at 386-943-5425 or [email protected] at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact us by using the Florida Relay Service, 1-800-955-8771 (TDD) or 1-800-955-8770 (Voice).

Media inquiries should be directed to the FDOT District Five Public Information Office at [email protected] or by phone at 386-943-5593.

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www.fdot.gov | Twitter: @MyFDOT_CFL | Facebook: @MyFDOTCFL

Florida Lottery’s New Scratch-Off Games Bring More Fun Under The Sun

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TALLAHASSEE – Today, the Florida Lottery (Lottery) unveils four exciting new Scratch-Off games! These games—$100 LOADED, EASY MONEY, UNO™, and MILLIONAIRE MAKER—range in price from $1 to $5 and offer more than $157 million in total cash prizes! All Lottery retailers are expected to have these new tickets in stock and available for purchase within 48 hours.

Transform your summer with the $5 MILLIONAIRE MAKER Scratch-Off game, featuring more than 5.7 million winning tickets and offering more than $79.3 million in total cash prizes, including six top prizes of $1 million! With overall odds of 1-in-3.87, players can win up to 14 times on each ticket.

For just $3, get ready to shout UNO™! This classic Scratch-Off game licensed by Scientific Games, LLC, offers more than $48.9 million in total cash prizes, including eight top prizes of $150,000. With overall odds of 1-in-4.00 and more than 5.8 million winning tickets, players can win on all eight lines.

Experience winning without breaking a sweat this summer with EASY MONEY. This $2 Scratch-Off game offers more than $20.5 million in total cash prizes, including eight top prizes worth $50,000. With more than 3.3 million winning tickets and overall odds of 1-in-4.41, players can win up to 10 times on a single ticket.

Bring summer to life with the $100 LOADED Scratch-Off game. For $1, players can win up to $5,000 instantly! Offering $8.5 in total cash prizes, including more than 2.7 million tickets, this game’s overall odds are 1-in-4.98.

Scratch-Off games are an important part of the Lottery’s portfolio of games, comprising approximately 72 percent of ticket sales in fiscal year 2022-2023. Additionally, since inception, Scratch-Off games have awarded more than $61.9 billion in prizes, created 2,103 millionaires, and generated more than $18.95 billion for the state’s Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF).

UNO™ and associated trademarks and trade dress are owned by, and used under license from, Mattel. © 2024 Mattel.

ABOUT THE FLORIDA LOTTERY

The Florida Lottery is responsible for contributing more than $46 billion to enhance education and sending more than 983,000 students to college through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. The Florida Lottery reinvests 99 percent of its revenue into Florida’s economy through prize payouts, commissions to more than 13,500 Lottery retailers, and transfers to education. Since 1988, Florida Lottery games have paid more than $94.2 billion in prizes and made more than 4,000 people millionaires. For more information, please visit www.floridalottery.com.

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Play Responsibly

Jimmy Patronis: Firefighter Safety Will Always Be a Priority

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Floridians,
This week, I was honored to announce that my office has started rulemaking to develop new standards of safety for managing lithium-ion battery fires in devices such as electric vehicles (EVs), scooters and golf carts. Lithium-ion batteries are an amazing technology, but there are serious drawbacks that can be very dangerous. During Hurricane Ian, we witnessed about 20 EV fires, and saltwater intrusion played a role in some of these fires. Once these fires begin, they can spread quickly and can be extremely difficult for firefighters to put out. The danger is known, it is real, and the time to act is now.
On Tuesday, I announced the arrest of four individuals in Miami who were involved in an alleged Personal Injury Protection (PIP) fraud scheme. The four allegedly had the intention to defraud United Auto Insurance Company, Responsive Insurance, and Infinity Automobile Insurance Company by exploiting PIP benefits associated with their auto policies for financial gain. PIP Fraud drives up auto premiums. It’s stealing from us all, and as Florida’s CFO, I have made it my top priority to tackle insurance fraud and ensure that fraudsters like this are put behind bars.
We also continued helping policyholders impacted by the storms and tornadoes that hit Tallahassee. Remember, don’t sign anything. Before you do, call your insurance agent, your carrier or my office at 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (693-5236).
Lastly, this Saturday is Armed Forces Day. May this day serve as an encouragement for all of us to show our appreciation for these heroes. They sacrifice so much so that we can live safely and freely. Please, seek out a veteran, thank them for their service, make them know that we don’t take them for granted. God bless all of our service men and women.
Sincerely,

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Interstate 4 Nighttime Detours Planned in North Seminole County

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Interstate 4 Nighttime Detours Planned in North Seminole County

 

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Motorists are advised of an upcoming Interstate 4 (I-4) closure in both directions that will occur between the State Road (S.R.) 46 and Lake Mary Boulevard exits. The nighttime closure is planned from 10 p.m. on Monday, May 20, through 4 a.m. on Tuesday, May 21. This road closure is necessary to allow crews to dismantle and remove overhead sign structures.

During the road closure, eastbound I-4 traffic will be directed to the Lake Mary Boulevard exit, then east to Rinehart Road, north to C.R. 46A, and west to the eastbound I-4 on ramp. Motorists on westbound I-4 will be shifted to the westbound parallel collector-distributor (C-D) road at S.R. 46 and directed to C.R. 46A. To access westbound I-4, motorists – including northbound S.R. 429 traffic – will be directed to C.R. 46A east, then south to Rinehart Road, and west on Lake Mary Boulevard to the westbound I-4 on ramp. Please see the attached detour map.

All schedules are subject to change due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances.

FDOT urges motorists to be attentive when driving in areas with road construction. Remember to slow down, follow posted detour signs and stay alert.

The $1.6 billion Wekiva Parkway (S.R. 429) connected to I-4 and S.R. 417 on January 27, 2024, completing Central Florida’s beltway. Project updates and information can be found on WekivaParkway.com, or by following the project on Facebook and Twitter.

For questions, please contact the FDOT District Five Public Information Office at [email protected] or by phone at 386-943-5593.

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www.fdot.gov | Twitter: @MyFDOT_CFL | Facebook: @MyFDOTCFL

New Home Health Care Services Law Sponsored by Rep. Gallop Franklin to Help Improve Health Outcomes in Florida

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CONTACT

Ryan Banfill

District Aide

Office of Rep. Gallop Franklin

[email protected]

850-717-5008

New Home Health Care Services Law Sponsored by Rep. Gallop Franklin to Help Improve Health Outcomes in Florida

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Home health care services will receive a substantial boost under legislation signed last Friday by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The legislation (CS/CS/HB 935) sponsored by  Representative Gallop Franklin (D-Tallahassee) and  Senator Jay Trumbull (R-Panama City)  allows advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants to order medically necessary home health care services.

“Home is the best place for healing and recovery for many patients. This new law to strengthen home health services promotes independence, enhances Florida’s quality of life, and reduces health care costs by preventing unnecessary hospitalizations,” said Representative Franklin. “Thanks to Sen. Trumbull’s incredible work carrying the bill in the Senate, the unanimous support from the Florida Legislature, and with Gov. DeSantis’ signature, Florida will improve health outcomes for our most vulnerable residents.”

Under the new law set to take effect July 1, 2024, health care services offered in the home may include:

  • Doctor care;
  • Nursing care;
  • Physical, occupational, respiratory, or speech therapy;
  • Home health aide services;
  • Medical social services; and
  • Homemaker/companion services.

The new law ensures better health outcomes for Floridians by better aligning Florida’s Medicaid safety net for low-income residents with Medicare and private insurers to pay for home health care services ordered by advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants.

Representative Franklin noted the new law is a compassionate, and cost-saving framework to provide patients with a care plan that is tailored to their specific needs.