TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – December 27, 2024 – The Agency for Health Care Administration today showcased its achievements over the past year in advancing health care across Florida. These efforts include introducing new training opportunities, expanding access to healthcare services, and promoting healthy living. The Agency remains committed to supporting Governor DeSantis’ vision of making Florida the freest and healthiest state in the nation.
“At the close of this year, we take pride in our accomplishments, from enhancing health care through innovative training opportunities to improving access to essential services and fostering healthier living for our communities, said Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Jason Weida. These efforts reflect our commitment to creating a stronger, healthier future for all.”
Key accomplishments by the Agency in 2024 include:
Enhancing Medicaid Managed Care
The Agency completed re-procurement of the Medicaid managed Care program contracts this year and will begin the third iteration of the program on February 1, 2025. The newest contracts emphasize utilization of the Hope Florida program, new health plan structure to keep families together and support them, introduce significant ways to improve enrollee health, and implement a new quality incentive structure to motivate the health plans and providers to continually improve over the life of the contract.
Opening Access for Training the Next Generation of Health Practitioners
The Florida Legislature, in conjunction with State’s health agencies passed legislation reinvigorating the health education landscape in the state of Florida by supporting graduate education for physicians, nurses, and behavioral health professionals. Additionally, the Live Healthy act included financial support to physicians and dentists who participate in the Medicaid program to assist with the repayment of student loans.
Ensuring Opportunities for Healthy Living
The Live Healthy act included provisions focused on assisting Floridians access health care across the healthcare landscape. Programs such as the hospital at home program assist Medicaid enrollees by allowing their recovery and observation to occur in the home with supervision by their healthcare staff. Additionally, the mobile crisis response services provide on the ground assistance to Medicaid enrollees in need to ensure the appropriate provision of services needed by the enrollee.
Safeguarding Florida’s Newborns
Through Legislative direction, the Agency added coverage for biomarker testing under the Florida Medicaid program. This postpartum testing is conducted to screen for potential genetic or physiological deficiencies in babies. Florida Medicaid covers nearly half of all births in the state and with the screening of those babies’ appropriate treatment can be provided and curb or prevent the impact of the deficiency.
Increasing Independence for the Developmentally Disabled
In 2023, the Legislature authorized the Agency to launch a new opportunity in certain counties for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, who are on the Agency for Persons with Disabilities pre-enrollment list for the iBudget Waiver, to receive a variety of social, medical, behavioral, therapeutic, and residential services through an integrated managed care delivery model. The Agency launched the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Pilot Program on October 1, 2024, in Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Manatee, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Polk counties.
Florida Cancer Connect Collaborative
The Florida Cancer Connect Collaborative released its report giving insight into trends for the most common cancers, highlighting screening and prevention measures, and details of the history of cancer research and care in Florida.
Florida Becomes First in the Nation to Have Canadian Drug Importation Program Approved by FDA
The Agency is currently in the process of completing the next steps to implement the Florida Canadian Prescription Drug Importation Program. These include working with its importer to negotiate deals with Canadian manufacturers for the purchase of Canadian prescription drugs and implementing the Program with State-run programs, including the Medicaid program.
Florida Launched Hospital Patient Immigration Status Dashboard Highlighting the Cost of Uncompensated Care for Illegal Immigrants
The Agency announced the launch of the Hospital Patient Immigration Status Dashboard which reports the total number of hospital admissions and emergency department visits reported based on a patient’s immigration status. The total cost of care provided to illegal immigrants in Florida was more than $566 million.
Acute Hospital Care at Home Program
In November 2024, Florida Medicaid moved forward with reimbursement for the Acute Hospital Care at Home Program. Florida is one of the first state Medicaid programs to cover this innovative model of care after the ending of the Federal Public Health Emergency.
Geographic Information System
The Agency implemented Geographic Information System technologies to enhance emergency response operations for Florida health facilities. With the new integrated technology, digital geographic mapping of flood zone data enabled the agency to efficiently plan and monitor facility evacuations during the state of emergencies.
The Agency for Health Care Administration is Florida’s chief health policy and planning entity. The Agency is responsible for administering the Florida Medicaid program, the licensure and regulation of nearly 50,000 health care facilities, and empowering consumers through health care transparency initiatives
