February 4

Committee Meetings Continue -- With three weeks left until the 2010 legislative session begins, the pace at the capital has quickened. In addition to discussing the Governor's proposed $69.2 billion budget, lawmakers also focused on Medicaid, managed care, and background screening for employees of regulated entities that serve vulnerable adults and children.

Lawmakers Skeptical About Gov. Charlie Crist's Budget -- The Governor's budget is $2.7 billion larger than the current budget of $66.5 billion. He said the increase is necessary to pay for explosive growth in Medicaid, which accounts for more than one-fourth of the entire budget. It also includes substantial increases for education and environmental programs. Republicans leaders responded with skepticism. "When you're making a household budget, you have to deal with reality," said House Budget Chairman Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami. He compared the governor's ideas to a family spending money "based on winning the lottery in the future."

House Reviews Draft Bill on Background Screening -- Members of the House Civil and Criminal Justice Council reviewed a proposal that would create uniform criteria for all regulated entities that are required by law to conduct a criminal background screen on certain employees. The Council is considering the following: requiring a level II screen for employees, contractor personnel and volunteers; electronic fingerprinting as part of the screening; rescreening every five years; and more stringent criteria for obtaining an exemption to work.

House Unveils Proposed Legislation to Address Unemployment Compensation Rate Hikes The House Economic Development and Community Affairs Policy Council unveiled legislation to relieve most Florida employers from exorbitant increases in the Unemployment Compensation tax this year. The proposal would reduce the amount of each employee's wages upon which the employer pays the tax from $8,500 back down to $7,000 for 2010 and 2011. It also establishes a quarterly payment plan for that allows employers to spread out their unemployment compensation payments over the whole year without penalties or interest. In addition, it eliminates provisions adopted by the 2009 legislature which led to the draconian tax increase.

Senate Focuses on Jobs -- Members of the Select Committee on Florida's Economy reviewed a 115-page draft version of a "Jobs for Florida" bill. It would make changes to economic development incentive programs and state regulatory activities that are intended to help businesses retain and create jobs.

HMOs Push for Statewide Expansion of Medicaid Reform -- Testifying before the House Select Policy Council on Strategic and Economic Planning, representatives of managed care organizations asked lawmakers to move forward with the statewide expansion of the managed Medicaid reform program, while advocates for patients urged caution. Pilot programs now exist in Duval, Baker, Clay, Nassau and Broward counties. HMOs favor mandatory enrollment of Medicaid recipients statewide in managed care plans, similar to what occurs in the pilot areas. Proponents believe that by expanding mandatory managed care statewide, the state will be able to slow the growth in Medicaid expenditures. In the Senate, HMO representatives acknowledged that information is not available on health care costs per enrollee, which created quite a stir.