Senator Tom Lee announced today the filing of three separate constitutional amendments. As a member of Florida’s Constitution Revision Commission (CRC), Senator Lee serves with thirty-six commissioners tasked with reviewing Florida’s Constitution and proposing changes for voter consideration. Any amendments that pass the CRC’s final vote are placed on the 2018 General Election ballot.
PROPOSAL 67: BAN DOG RACING IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
If adopted, Florida will join forty other states in putting an end to the practice.
“There is growing recognition that many of these animals live in inhumane conditions, a reality that is out of line with the moral standard of Floridians,” Senator Lee said. “For over a decade, the Legislature has fought to end greyhound racing, but special interests derail the issue every year. Now is our opportunity to finally end the mistreatment of greyhounds, reduce the amount of gambling in our state, and restore community values.”
PROPOSAL 66: ALTER THE ROLE OF FLORIDA’S LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR TO CREATE MORE VALUE FOR TAXPAYERS.
“Floridians pay more than $265,000 annually to employ a Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State, yet the Lieutenant Governor has almost no formal responsibilities,” Senator Lee said. “This is an opportunity to combine the two positions, eliminating wasteful spending and creating a more efficient and streamlined government. This amendment gives the Lieutenant Governor specific constitutional responsibilities and ensures that our Chief Elections Official is elected by and accountable to the people.”
Under the proposal, the Lieutenant Governor would become Florida’s Chief of Elections, Chief Cultural Officer, State Protocol Officer, head of the Department of State, and will have the power to cast the tie-breaking vote in the Florida Senate on the final passage of legislation.
PROPOSAL 68: INCREASE WATCHDOG AUTHORITY OVER STATE CONTRACTS AND SPENDING.
The proposed amendment authorizes Florida’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to participate in economic, demographic and state revenue estimating conferences, giving the position a seat at the table when it comes to projecting Florida’s fiscal future. Under current law, only the Governor and the Legislature have a voice in determining the amount of taxpayer money state government can spend in any given year.
“The people who spend the money should not have the exclusive authority to decide how much money to spend,” Senator Lee said. “Adding the CFO to the discussion lends an objective voice and creates a necessary system of checks and balances that one would expect to see in any responsible corporate governance structure.”
The amendment also gives the CFO, as Florida’s constitutionally mandated check writer, the ability to review and approve state contracts worth more than $10 million.
“Unfortunately, we’ve seen instances where our agencies have not been good stewards with public monies,” Senator Lee said. “Giving the CFO the proper tools on the front end allows them to act as a watchdog and hold state contractors accountable on the back end.”
For more information on the CRC and to view each proposal, visit flcrc.gov.
Senator Tom Lee
Senator Tom Lee Files Bill to Increase Financial Protections for Florida's Seniors
Senator Tom Lee announced today the filing of Senate Bill 438, a piece of legislation aimed at increasing financial protections for Floridians in Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs).
There are 71 licensed CCRCs in Florida serving approximately 30,000 residents. When a senior decides to join a CCRC, it is a significant decision and a huge investment of their assets – usually their life’s savings.
“In the last five years, three CCRCs have filed for bankruptcy in our state, leaving some of our most vulnerable citizens with a lot of uncertainty about what is going to happen in the final stages of their lives,” Senator Lee said. “While the majority of these facilities are operating in good faith, these incidents have highlighted the need to reexamine our laws to ensure we’re adequately protecting residents and the assets they’ve worked so hard to accumulate.”
Senate Bill 438 provides a regulatory framework designed to give the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) the necessary authority to intervene earlier to prevent a CCRC’s financial challenge from becoming a crisis.
“Most recently, a CCRC in my community allowed unqualified and unapproved individuals to take over, bleed the facility of all liquidity, and use bankruptcy as a shield to evade regulatory action,” Senator Lee added. “These kind of activities cause an inordinate amount of stress on employees, residents, and their families. This legislation gives OIR the necessary tools and oversight to aid struggling CCRCs and ensure they can fulfill their promises to seniors.”
Senate Bill 438 increases transparency and communication with CCRC residents, creates a new early warning intervention system to allow the OIR and CCRCs to work together to resolve any potential issues, and improves regulatory efficiencies by promoting financial stability and prohibiting hazardous transactions.
PIP Insurance Repeal Proposed by Senator Tom Lee
Senator Tom Lee announced today the filing of Senate Bill 150, which repeals Florida’s Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law and replaces it with mandatory bodily Injury and medical payment coverages.
“While well intentioned anecdotally, Florida’s Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law has resulted in widespread fraud, abuse, and a complex litigation process,” Senator Lee said. “Since its enactment ‘70s, the value of the PIP benefit has eroded, while Florida’s auto insurance premiums continue to rise.”
The proposed legislation repeals Florida’s Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law and establishes a mandate for bodily injury and medical payments coverages. Floridians will be required to purchase bodily injury liability coverage at limits of twenty thousand per person (forty thousand per incident), ten thousand dollars for property damage, and five thousand dollars in medical payments coverage.
“More than 92% of Florida drivers currently have some form of bodily injury coverage,” Senator Lee added. “For many, PIP is a duplicative coverage that burdens drivers with paying for accidents they didn’t cause. Good drivers are being punished by having to cover rate hikes, even if they never get in an accident, to pay for the negligence of other drivers and the general PIP costs in their region.”
Senate Bill 150 includes phase-in language that increases the bodily injury liability coverage requirements every two years until it reaches thirty thousand dollars for one person and sixty thousand dollars per incident.
“The legislature tried year after year to fix Florida’s overpriced, no-fault system,” Senator Lee said. “By switching to a tort-based system, we increase the simplicity of litigation, provide more adequate liability coverage at a reasonable price, and preserve some important protections for healthcare providers.”
For more information on Senate Bill 150, click here.
Direct Primary Care Bill Filed by Senator Tom Lee Increases Access to Quality Healthcare
Senator Tom Lee announced today the filing of Senate Bill 80, which increases patient access to quality primary care by establishing an alternative to the traditional third party, fee-for-service insurance system.
“Direct primary care offers an innovative solution to a healthcare system plagued by exorbitant costs and a lack of quality care for the uninsured and underinsured,” Senator Lee said. “This type of free-market approach gives patients greater flexibility and expands access to concierge-level healthcare that was once available only to the wealthy.”
In a direct primary care model, doctors charge patients a flat monthly, quarterly, or annual fee. A full range of comprehensive primary care visits and services are included under this contract, ranging from acute and urgent care to regular checkups, labs, preventative care and chronic disease management. Physicians are able to spend more time caring directly for their patients and significantly reduce operating expenses by cutting out the hassle and costs associated with billing a health insurance company.
“Direct primary care offers gives patients the opportunity to establish an enduring and trusting relationship with their primary care provider, which ultimately leads to superior health outcomes, lower costs and an enhanced patient experience,” Senator Lee added.
The proposed bill defines direct primary care agreements, clarifies them as outside the scope of state insurance regulation, and establishes protections for both patients and physicians.
“These arrangements empower Florida families by giving them more control and choice in how they pay for the care they need,” Senator Lee said.
For more information on SB 80, click here.
Senator Tom Lee Files Legislation to Protect Florida's Seniors from Financial Fraud
Senator Tom Lee (R-Thonotosassa) announced today the filing of the “Protecting Florida Seniors from Financial Fraud Act,” a piece of legislation devised to safeguard Floridians in Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs).
“Unfortunately, the conduct of a few bad actors, specifically the management of one CCRC in my community, has highlighted the need to increase oversight of these organizations,” Senator Lee said. “Current statute does not adequately protect residents and employees against facility insolvency, loss of provider assets, and loss of resident investments. It’s essential to address these issues to ensure CCRCs can fulfill their obligations to one of the most vulnerable segments of our population.”
There are 71 licensed CCRCs in Florida serving more than 31,000 residents. The Office of Insurance Regulation (Office) is responsible for regulating a CCRC’s financial solvency, residency contracts, and the disclosures made to prospective residents.
“So many seniors pour their life savings into the promise of one-stop care during their retirement years—care that CCRCs promise to them,” said CFO Jeff Atwater. “It’s shameful to see a few bad players misuse and abuse that money and promise, stealing their life savings and leaving them without a viable, long-term alternative. These common sense solutions will put added protections in place, and I support this consumer-centric legislation.”
The legislation, sponsored by Representative Cyndi Stevenson in the House, requires CCRCs to retain reserves to protect residents and their families, increases the Office’s authority to prohibit hazardous practices and transactions, streamlines the acquisition process to reduce the burdens on applicants, and creates an “impairment” framework to allow for earlier intervention to prevent harm to Florida consumers and their investments.
“Recent events have brought to light weaknesses in the CCRC industry and its regulation,” said Representative Stevenson. “I am introducing this legislation to strengthen the industry and protect residents. I’ve worked closely with the Office of Insurance Regulation, the CFO, and Senator Lee to craft a bill that balances the interests of residents and the needs of the industry, and that provides new authority to protect the substantial investments made and the long-term promises exchanged. The bill streamlines regulation while enhancing protections where they matter most.”
“The decision to join a CCRC represents a substantial investment of assets, time and trust for a resident and their family. I applaud Senator Lee and Representative Stevenson’s sponsorship of this important legislation to further strengthen protections for these residents by increasing financial safeguards and fixing provisions under current law that act as a deterrent to regulatory oversight for those with bad intentions,” said Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier.
Senator Tom Lee tackles lack of options and rising cost of state employee health insurance in latest bill
Senator Tom Lee (R–Thonotosassa) announced today the filing of SB 900, directed at modernizing Florida’s State Group Health Insurance Plan (Plan), which provides benefits to more than 360,000 state employees and their families.
The state currently offers a Preferred Provider Operation (PPO) group-insurance plan and regional Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans. Employees pay the same premium for both plans ($50 a month for single coverage and $180 for family coverage), despite differences in benefit design and value of the products. The state also offers a high-deductible, low premium option – a popular choice in the private sector – which has a participation rate among state employees of slightly more than one percent.
“Our current plan offers limited choices and lacks the price transparency needed for employees and their families to make cost-effective healthcare purchases,” Senator Lee said. “This bill incorporates modern, innovative models for delivering high-quality healthcare at lower costs that will empower state employees to decide what benefits make the most sense for them.”
SB 900 requires the Plan, beginning in 2020, to offer four levels of coverage at different price and benefit levels – bronze, silver, gold and platinum – giving employees a choice to either purchase a plan at a lower price point and share in the cost savings, pay more for top-tier coverage, or choose something at the level of the state’s contribution. If the state’s contribution is more than the premium cost of the health plan selected by the employee, the employee may elect to use the balance to credit their flexible spending or health savings account, purchase additional benefits or increase their salary.
Senator Lee added, “If an individual decides they don’t want or need the full coverage offered by the state’s traditional plan, why not give at least some of the cost back to them in another way — maybe in the form of increases in their health-savings accounts, maybe in the form of more take-home pay?”
SB 900 also requires the Department of Management Services (DMS) to adjust the cost of existing products in the Plan to reflect the difference in the value of benefits. DMS will submit the recommended premiums to the Legislative Budget Commission for approval. DMS must also hire an independent consultant to assist in any modifications to the Plan. Additionally, the bill creates a price transparency program aimed at educating and informing employees about their healthcare choices, including quality and average price information for services and providers. Employees who choose low cost, high quality treatment will share in any savings generated by their choice.
“Our one-size-fits-all approach to insurance coverage hasn’t kept pace with what’s available in the private sector,” Senator Lee said. “This bill eliminates waste in our current system while promoting and improving consumer choice.”
Senator Tom Lee Files Bill to Give Patients Greater Flexibility and Access to Quality Primary Care
Senator Tom Lee (R–Thonotosassa) announced today the filing of SB 240, designed to improve access to direct primary care by giving physicians and their patients an alternative to the traditional third party, fee-for-service system.
In a direct primary care model, patients receive access to their physician for a flat monthly fee. A full range of comprehensive primary care visits and services are included under this contract, ranging from acute and urgent care to regular checkups, labs, preventative care and chronic disease management. SB 240 recognizes these arrangements, establishes protections for both the physicians and the patients, as well as defines them as outside the scope of state insurance regulation.
“Direct primary care offers an innovative solution and greater efficiency to a healthcare system plagued by exorbitant costs and a lack of accessible, quality care for the uninsured and underinsured,” Senator Lee said. “This type of free-market approach grants patients greater flexibility and expands access to concierge-level healthcare that was once available only to the wealthy.”
Direct primary care practices allow patients to establish a personal relationship with their doctor, diminishing the dependence on expensive surgeries, urgent care, emergency rooms and other preventable hospitalizations. Physicians are able to spend more time caring directly for their patients and significantly reduce operating expenses by cutting out the hassle and costs associated with billing a health insurance company.
“These arrangements empower Florida families by giving them more control and choice in how they pay for the care they need,” Senator Lee added.
