Legislation To Ease Home Health Restrictions Gains Support In Florida

On Monday, the Florida House Health & Human Services Subcommittee unanimously approved a bill that would expand home health workforce flexibility and enhance service delivery standards.

If passed, the bill would delete geographical limitations on home health agencies that an administrator could manage at any time. Currently, administrators are allowed to manage up to five home health agencies if the agencies have identical controlling interests, only if all agencies are located within one geographic service area or a directly adjacent county. 

“Home health care in Florida provides patients with a cost-effective option to heal in the comfort of their own homes,” Rep. Gallop Franklin, who represents District 8 in the Florida House of Representatives and sponsored the bill, said in a statement. “This legislation offers common-sense reforms to remove barriers to care and ensure patients receive the high-quality services they need.”

The bill would also revise requirements for initial admission visits. As the law currently stands, a direct employee of home health agencies must conduct the initial admission visit, all service evaluation visits and the discharge visits. The new bill allows contracted registered nurses to provide initial visits.

The bill was met favorably by the Home Care Association of Florida when it was introduced in March.

“Exciting news! HB 1353 has been introduced in the Florida Legislature, thanks to the leadership of Representative Franklin,” the association posted on Facebook. “Thank you, Representative Franklin, for championing home care!”

The association highlighted that the bill would allow all nurses to perform essential visits, saying that the change would modernize workforce regulations and improve access to care. The group said that the bill’s move to allow for greater administrative flexibility would result in less red tape and more efficiency.

The new bill would also revise the eligibility for awards under the Excellence in Home Health Program. This change would allow top-quality care to be recognized, according to the Home Care Association of Florida.

The bill will next go to the full Florida House of Representatives for a vote.

On Tuesday, the state’s Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services also unanimously approved a companion bill.

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