Hello and welcome to Friday ...
President-elect Joe Biden on Thursday rolled out a sweeping $1.9 trillion pandemic relief plan that, if adopted by Congress, would direct about $400 billion toward directly controlling the coronavirus.
It’s a big lift, even as Democrats prepare to assume a narrow majority in the U.S. Senate. And already some Republicans --- including Florida U.S. Sen. Rick Scott --- have questioned portions of the plan, especially the extra financial help for states. Scott said that, while there were some “good things” in the proposal, it would result in bailouts for “wasteful, liberal states.”
Biden's proposal would mean a large infusion of money for states, including Florida.
According to a fact sheet distributed by the Biden-Harris campaign, the president-elect is proposing to spend $20 billion for a national vaccine rollout; $50 billion to expand testing; $30 billion to ensure sufficient supplies and protective gear; $10 billion on expanding domestic manufacturing for pandemic supplies; and $130 billion to safely reopen schools. Biden also proposes hiring 100,000 public health workers and setting aside $350 billion for state and local governments to “keep front line public workers on the job and paid."
The American Hospital Association issued a statement Friday that praised Biden for promising additional funding for vaccine production, personal protective equipment, COVID-19 testing and surveillance, and therapeutics to treat people with the virus. But American Hospital Association President and CEO Rick Pollack said that even more is necessary.
"While we thank President-elect Biden for many of the policies in this plan, we continue to believe that more must be done to aid our response to the pandemic, including more support for hospitals and health systems through the Provider Relief Fund," Pollack said in a prepared statement.
In some non-COVID-19 news ... Simply Healthcare Plans, Inc. announced this week that it is purchasing Lighthouse Health Plan’s Medicaid contract effective Feb. 1. Since 2018, Lighthouse Health Plan has had a contract to offer Medicaid managed care plans in Regions 1 and 2, which together account for 18 counties in the Florida panhandle. As of Dec. 30, Lighthouse Health Plan had 39,348 members, well below the enrollment that Lighthouse Health Plan chief executive officer Christie Spencer expected to have by now. Spencer told the News Service last year that she thought the plan would have enrolled 50,000 Medicaid clients by December 2019. She blamed the less-than-stellar enrollment on Medicaid rules and policies that, she said, benefitted more established plans that have been participating in Florida's Medicaid managed care program since 2014.
Lighthouse Health Plan didn't enter the Medicaid managed care market until 2018, after the state's second Medicaid managed care procurement.
Simply Healthcare Plans currently operates in Medicaid Regions 10 and 11 --- Broward and Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, respectively --- as well as Medicaid Regions 5, 6 and 7, which make up a swath of ten counties across central Florida.
RULES
The Agency for Health Care Administration proposes amending Rule 59G-1.060 to revise provider enrollment requirements and update the rule text. More here.
The Board of Psychology proposes amending Rule 64B19-17.002 relating to the standards of practice. More here.
The Board of Psychology proposes amending Rule 64B19-18 002, 64B19-18 003 and 64B19-18 009 to update and clarify guidelines. More here.
The Board of Medicine proposes amending Rule 64B8-44.007 to clarify the language for standards of practice. More here.
The Board of Nursing proposes amending Rule 64B9-15.009 to provide the standards of practice for certified nursing assistants. More here.
The Board of Nursing proposes amending Rule 64B9-15.0015 regarding standards of practice. More here.
The Board of Opticianry proposes amending Rule 64B12-16.003 regarding the application for apprenticeship requirements and training programs. More here.
The Board of Dentistry proposes amending Rule 64B5-16.006 regarding the reporting of adverse medical incidents. More here.
The Board of Osteopathic Medicine proposes amending Rule 64B15-6.01 to clarify disciplinary guidelines, to add guidelines for telehealth registrants. More here.
The Board of Osteopathic Medicine proposes amending Rule 64B15-22.004 to incorporate a revised application. More here.
The Board of Osteopathic Medicine proposes amending Rule 64B15-12.003 to incorporate a revised application. More here.
The Board of Medicine proposes amending Rule 64B8-30.015 regarding disciplinary guidelines for telehealth registrants. More here.
The Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology proposes amending Rule 64B20-4.003 to incorporate a new application for audiology assistants. More here.
COMINGS AND GOINGS
Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Seema Weinstein, manager of Psychology and Neuropsychology Services at Tampa General Hospital, to the Board of Psychology.
DeSantis appointed Maja Gift, director of Pharmacy Services at Tampa General Hospital, to the Board of Pharmacy.
Richard Tuli, MD, PhD, has joined the University of South Florida Health Morsani College of Medicine and Tampa General Hospital. He most recently was the director of developmental therapeutics at New York’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
WEEK IN REVIEW
--Liability protections ... The Republican-led Legislature is expected to fast-track lawsuit limitations during the 2021 session. Just how far the House and Senate go with those protections remains to be seen. More here.
--New mandate ... Florida health officials want to scrutinize COVID test results. It’s unclear why. More here.
--Timing is everything ... Gov. DeSantis’ office: Publix PAC money not linked to launch of COVID-19 vaccine program. More here.
--Grim prediction ... White House Task Force warns Florida of ‘significant’ COVID deaths. More here.
--Getting stretched ... AdventHealth delays some elective surgeries as COVID stretches resources. More here.
--Pandemic fallout ... Nemours Children’s Health System announces $100 million cut in costs. More here.
--Shhh ... With state officials mum, Floridians aren’t being told about a public health threat: A troubling new COVID strain. More here.
--Sun, fun and a shot in the arm ... Florida downplays reports of medical tourism for vaccines. More here.
--But yet ... Republicans and Democrats and Florida request more COVID-19 vaccines for snowbirds. More here.
--Stop and start ... Miami-Dade may close some county vaccine sites after cutbacks Florida blames on feds. More here.
CALENDAR
Jan. 19
10 a.m.The Clearinghouse on Developmental Developmental Disabilities Advisory Council meets. Call (866) 899-4679; participant code:479030157. Or, meeting link here.
Jan. 20
Inauguration Day
Jan. 21
9 a.m. The Board of Pharmacy meets. Call (888) 585-9008; participant code: 599196982. Agenda here.
9:30 a.m. AHCA holds a public meeting on the proposed changes to rules regarding neonatal intensive care units. Call (888) 585-9008; participant code 476211242.
10 a.m. The Commission on Human Relations meets. Call (850) 270-6017; participant code: 987338071. Or, meeting link here.
Jan. 22
2:30 p.m. The Board of Medicine Probable Cause Panel North meets. Call (888) 585-9008; participant code: 432162565.