By Adriana Bonansea-Frances, MD
Last month, I was joined by my colleagues from the Miami-Dade County Medical Association (MDCMA) leadership on a trip to Tallahassee for our annual Legislative Fly-In, engaging directly with 16 Florida legislators to advocate for policies that protect patients, support physicians, and preserve the integrity of the physician-led healthcare system.
During a series of productive meetings at the Capitol, we focused on key priority issues critical to the practice of medicine and the physician-patient relationship.
Among these was the need for human review of health insurance denials. MDCMA strongly supports HB 527 and SB 202, which would require that medical necessity determinations be reviewed by qualified healthcare professionals rather than automated systems. We emphasized that coverage decisions should be made by humans, not algorithms, to ensure timely, appropriate care for patients.
We also advocated for payment certainty to benefit patients and physicians. MDCMA supports proposed legislation to include physicians alongside dental practices in preventing health plans from retracting their determination for covered services after care has been provided, except under specific circumstances. Ensuring fair, predictable reimbursement is essential to maintaining patient access to care and sustaining physician practices across Florida.
In addition, we expressed MDCMA’s strong opposition to HB 6003, absent reasonable caps on non-economic damages. This legislation related to medical liability lawsuits could lead to skyrocketing medical malpractice costs, increased defensive medicine, and reduced access to care for patients.
We also reaffirmed MDCMA’s opposition to the expansion of scope of practice and strongly advocated for physician-led, team-based care. Patient safety and quality outcomes are best achieved when care teams are led by physicians with the education and training necessary to manage complex medical decision-making.
We were encouraged by the support we received from several legislators who were aligned with many of these issues. At the same time, continued outreach is critical, as some lawmakers were not fully aware of all the current challenges facing physicians, patients, and the healthcare system. These conversations reinforced the value of being present and sharing real-world perspectives from the front lines of care.
During our Capitol visits, a new omnibus bill was filed in the House, HB 693 also known as the “Florida Big Beautiful Healthcare Frontier Bill.” This large piece of legislation has expansions of authority for non-physician members of the healthcare team that are concerning for their potential impacts on patient safety. MDCMA will work with our colleagues throughout Florida and our partners in the legislature to ensure our patients, family, friends, and communities are protected while championing ways to safely increase access to care.
On behalf of MDCMA, thank you to our dedicated leadership and physician delegates who took time away from their practices to represent Miami-Dade physicians and patients in Tallahassee. Your advocacy and commitment are vital to advancing our shared priorities.
Advocacy efforts like the Tallahassee Fly-In are made possible through the support of the MDCMA members and our Political Action Committee (PAC). Physicians and medical associations must work together to ensure our representatives and senators understand how legislation could affect the future of medicine in our state.
We encourage physicians to join MDCMA and support the MDCMA PAC to help amplify our voice, strengthen our advocacy efforts, and ensure that physicians remain at the table when healthcare policy decisions are made. Contribute to the PAC at miamimed.com/page/Advocacy. To join us, learn more at miamimed.com/page/Benefits.
Dr. Adriana Bonansea-Frances is President of the Miami-Dade County Medical Association.
