Gov. Ron DeSantis has approved legislation to help better deliver behavioral health services.
Lawmakers approved the bill (HB 633) in late April. Tampa Republican Rep. Traci Koster sponsored the measure, with Panama City Republican Sen. Jay Trumbull backing the Senate companion (SB 1354).
Under the legislation, the Department of Children and Families (DCF) will contract for operational and financial audits of managing entities and would analyze the data provided.
Audits must include a review of business practices, personnel, financial records, compensation, services administered, the method of provider payment, expenditures, outcomes, referral patterns and referral volume, provider referral assignments, and key performance measures.
Provider network participation information for DCF’s available bed platform, the Opioid Management System, and the Agency for Health Care Administration Event Notification Service are required for audits, as well as information on provider network adequacy.
Melanie Brown Woofter, the President and CEO of the Florida Behavioral Health Association, issued a statement following Friday’s signing praising the Governor and bill sponsors for getting the measure across the finish line.
“The Governor’s unwavering commitment to behavioral health has allowed community mental health and substance use treatment providers to offer efficient and effective health care services to all Floridians, regardless of their ability to pay,” Brown Woofter said.
“We are grateful to Representative Traci Koster and Senator Jay Trumbull for their leadership and to the entire Florida Legislature for unanimously passing HB 633. The legislation centralizes reporting for behavioral health stakeholders, creating a unique opportunity for Floridians to better understand how public investments are supporting mental health services across the state. This will ultimately demonstrate the return on investment community providers generate and continue to highlight the good work providers have been doing in their communities across the state for decades.”
Per the measure, managing entities are required to compare administered services with outcomes of expenditures and add them into each audit of the entity’s expenditures and claims, including any Medicaid funding used for behavioral health services.
Claims paid by each managing entity for Medicaid recipients need to be analyzed and include recommendations to improve the transparency of the system’s performance based on metrics and criteria. Performance standards will be established by both DCF and the managing entities.
Managing entities will be required to report the numbers and percentages of high utilizers, individuals who receive outpatient services for behavioral health services, and emergency room visits.
Information on the number of individuals able to schedule an appointment within 24 hours, wait times, the incidence of medication errors in treatment plans, rate of readmission, and the number of adverse incidents such as self-harm in both in-patient and outpatient settings will also be reported.
Following the Governor’s signature, the legislation takes effect July 1.
___
Ryan Nicol and Andrew Powell of Florida Politics contributed to this report.
The post ‘Unwavering commitment’: Gov. DeSantis signs behavioral health services transparency bill appeared first on Florida Politics – Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..
