Health-care conforming bill reported favorably; Medicaid and nursing-home provisions advance

The Health Care Budget Subcommittee reported PCB HCB 2601 favorably after a short discussion and roll-call vote.

The presenter described the measure as the session's health-care conforming bill. Key provisions cited in the committee explanation include eliminating the health-care innovation program within the Department of Health (DOH); increasing the nursing-home quality incentive program; creating a Medicaid eligibility assistance program for persons with disabilities within the Department of Children and Families; and authorizing transfers between the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) and the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) to facilitate movement of members between waiver programs. The presenter said the bill would also require AHCA to reimburse for long-acting injectable medications administered to Medicaid recipients with severe mental illness in inpatient hospitals, lengthen the managed-care contract reprocurement cycle from every six years to every eight years, and require a quality-withhold incentive based solely on mortality. An effective date of July 1, 2026, was noted.

Representative Kent asked whether the Medicaid eligibility assistance would apply to all APD clients or only to a pilot and how the assisting entity would be paid; the presenter replied the program was intended to apply broadly ("for all") and that payment mechanisms were "yet to be determined." Ranking Member Woodson asked whether the bill creates a mechanism to ensure a set portion of managed-care payments flows to direct-care staff; the presenter said rate and contract changes would be required to set explicit payment allocations.

There was no public testimony. The clerk conducted a roll-call vote and the committee reported the PCB favorably.

The subcommittee's action forwards the conforming bill as written to the next committee or calendar; implementation details such as payment mechanisms and contract language will be worked out in subsequent drafting and rulemaking by AHCA and affected agencies.