Governor Ron DeSantis has recently signed a bill that will make home healthcare services more accessible to all Floridians this summer. The new law allows advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants to order medically necessary home health care services for people on Medicaid, bringing them in line with federal and private insurers.
According to Representative Gallop Franklin of Tallahassee, the Affordable Care Act already allows advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants to order home services for patients with private insurance or Medicare. However, the new law signed by Governor DeSantis expands that access to Medicaid patients who have traditionally faced challenges in accessing healthcare services.
Starting on July 1, 2024, healthcare services offered in the home may include doctor care, nursing care, physical, occupational, respiratory, or speech therapy, home health aide services, medical social services, and homemaker/companion services. This will reduce the need for unnecessary trips to the doctor’s office for simple tasks like changing or obtaining prescriptions.
AARP Associate State Director of Advocacy Karen Murillo emphasized that this new law helps improve physical access to healthcare by eliminating the need for expensive transportation or the lack of available transportation. The expansion of home healthcare services is just one of many efforts the state legislature has made this year to improve healthcare access, with initiatives like the Live Healthy Act providing funding for provider recruitment and telehealth technology.
