[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6378904,"mediaKeyId","2136869-34b866f9a06488bed45c20e9288a9e0b","parentId",2136869,"title","Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs highlights outreach, 41:1 federal return on state investment for benefits assistance","audioSeconds",482,"startMs",4573000,"endMs",5055000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2136869-34b866f9a06488bed45c20e9288a9e0b&start=4573&end=5055","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2136869-34b866f9a06488bed45c20e9288a9e0b/thumbnail_4573000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6378904/Florida/Florida-Department-of-Veterans-Affairs-highlights-outreach-411-federal-return-on-state-investment-for-benefits-assistance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6378904-d665baac3ee130e41ba5639130489e91/orig.mp4?Expires=1771185162&Signature=ouArFNCuwJMKgeH1eydm9i2fz7667u2J4mBRhQw6Gcesi-bFaedUfdXdu8qoJIdkVzXxDdAV2uoNbeJxMkQAkVgsTqSabcsDvA1Xcg555OZYHDo5KFemZ-KPOmN-t2YhnilGMl6NvPQVooK8wGxCeZeR0CIpvob9TT1I1u-tOUpIQ6T1orbdWyxPs9iJ-5HXAX6p8EUwCaLSAa2M3fqf7OmFG-yd2sIBHVdasQl-mT2CW7L8PEzXgk70DU5Niim17gcWNunO-fKPneM7ylLuLlK43I4Xa-m0RpAZQKllB1wq0upX8mZmsDdeE5l3I~x2R2TsqZzYcz4n4IW2Pv19BQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services","date","2025-01-15T00:00:00Z","article","The Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs (FDVA) presented metrics showing increased veteran outreach and federal benefit dollars returned to Florida residents as the committee reviewed HHS agency programs.

Major General Hartsell, representing FDVA, told senators the department’s benefits and assistance program (state veteran service officers) helped secure nearly $27.9 billion in federal benefits for veterans, families and survivors in the past year. She said the department calculates a return on investment of roughly $41 in federal funds for each state dollar spent on benefits assistance and that the figure is trending higher.

Hartsell described the department’s statewide presence — about 105 veteran service officers placed in facilities such as federal VA clinics and hospitals and in community offices — and said officers handle benefit claims, retroactive compensation, outreach events and issue resolution. She said the number of veterans served and the number of federal dollars returned have risen significantly over several years and that FDVA tracks timeliness of claims, outreach locations and customer feedback to direct staffing and corrective actions.

On service expansion, Hartsell said FDVA is pursuing adult day health care options to provide services that could help veterans remain in the community and delay or avoid nursing home admission. She said state law limits adding service lines to legacy state veteran nursing homes but that new facilities or adjacent sites offer opportunities to add adult day health services, and the department plans to advance those efforts in the budget process.

Senators thanked FDVA for its work and asked questions about staffing, planned adult day health services and outreach in local districts. Hartsell described training for veteran service officers on mental health recognition and said the department uses feedback and performance measures to adjust staffing and services.

No formal committee action was taken during the presentation; FDVA will provide an annual report with additional program detail.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services 1/15/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs told the Appropriations Committee its benefits and assistance program helped bring nearly $28 billion in federal benefits into the state last year and that each state dollar invested in the program returns dozens in federal funds.","taxTitle","Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services, Standing Committees, Senate, Legislative, Florida","taxId",26939,"location","Florida","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6378909,"Agency for Persons with Disabilities seeks new procurement, emphasizes prevention and community partnerships for dental care",1779,2309000,4088000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2136869-34b866f9a06488bed45c20e9288a9e0b&start=2309&end=4088","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2136869-34b866f9a06488bed45c20e9288a9e0b/thumbnail_2309000.jpg","/articles/6378909/Florida/Agency-for-Persons-with-Disabilities-seeks-new-procurement-emphasizes-prevention-and-community-partnerships-for-dental-care","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6378909-3a3dc83241e7982191412170f0b82b4a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771185162&Signature=HVXYX1vE1qRWypBA44NS2T0uUH5HnFWj~73FEr4lBfLMx3sBmlbQkBqAWuUdwO7GVHtAftOm~ebWslq8M7RkAiEoLxTOj7BC23evtlUcJDD3lWKizp0l4CwYMaVQ9TMuxCZgRyY3vesOS9DpZI0AF7nzehAKv1BHr~YlcsBE1916CD2i3WpsLgvLeZ7cB-ZJOoDqhwaEr5wuysKpltb-xkD3A6YW2dj6hTBAj1R3gOIi~L3f6xn7c~5AFlI6mo6HmOCdL2qujl4dpIoWbyzEDdegdTagMq6mPAZ7o2bu5sMBd4qTe90Joy6yTmprqoytAYqbG2gqcp4OLdx6KGgvWA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Agency for Persons with Disabilities briefed the Appropriations Committee on its statewide dental program for individuals with developmental disabilities, described obstacles to procuring a vendor and outlined priorities for a revised procurement focused on prevention, community partnerships and care coordination.

Lorena Fulcher, assistant director of operations and programs at APD, said APD provides dental supports through multiple mechanisms including the iBudget waiver, an APD dental allocation and connections to Medicaid dental managed care plans. She said the agency has historically acted as a payer of last resort, authorizing dental treatments not covered by Medicaid, Medicare or private insurance and connecting individuals to emergency care when needed.

Fulcher reviewed the program’s history: in 2012 the Legislature appropriated $2,000,000 in nonrecurring funds for a contract; that annual appropriation rose to $3,000,000 through 2022. In 2022 APD received an additional appropriation to conduct a competitive procurement and research best practices. Fulcher said APD issued a solicitation in January 2024 that drew no responsive bidders; the agency revised its approach and released a new solicitation on Oct. 24, 2024 for up to $11,500,000 that emphasizes a teaming model, community outreach, teledentistry, acclimation visits and a data management system for vendor reporting.

Fulcher said APD’s analysis showed an expenditure drop around fiscal year 2019 likely tied to the Agency for Health Care Administration’s implementation of a Medicaid dental benefit in December 2018 and the subsequent availability of dental services through Medicaid dental plans. APD reported rising expenditures in 2022–23 and 2023–24 to ensure clients could access services while procurement work continued.

Senators asked whether services continue during the solicitation and whether APD has assisted clients affected by Medicaid redeterminations. Fulcher said APD can operate the dental program if procurement fails and that services are being authorized now through APD funding sources and the iBudget waiver. On Medicaid redeterminations, she said eligibility is determined by the Department of Children and Families and APD collaborates with DCF, shares data with waiver support coordinators and assists individuals applying for Medicaid, but she deferred to DCF for redetermination policy.

Public comment during the hearing amplified the issue of Medicaid redeterminations for APD clients. Melissa Mezada, representing a provider, said her organization tracked hundreds of iBudget waiver recipients who were disenrolled from Medicaid during the unwinding and described administrative burdens and service interruptions. “These are folks with developmental disabilities … If they're dropped from Medicaid they can't access their services,” Mezada said, adding her agency had hired staff and filed fair‑hearing requests to remedy cases.

The Florida Dental Association’s chief legislative officer, Joanne Hart, told the committee the Medicaid dental program is struggling to recover, expressed concern about an AHCA waiver submitted to CMS that would alter administration and funding for certain dental services, and urged changes to improve provider access to facilities and increase facility reimbursement for dental procedures.

APD said it will evaluate solicitation responses for community‑based teaming approaches, require a vendor data management system, and continue to operate or authorize services while procurement proceeds.","APD described an active solicitation for a statewide dental program aimed at individuals with developmental disabilities, said the agency received no responsive bids on a prior procurement, and highlighted a $11.5 million solicitation focused on local teaming, teledentistry, acclimation visits and coordination with Medicaid plans.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6378914,"AHCA outlines expansion, contracting changes for Florida PACE program as slot reversions rise",988,576000,1564000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2136869-34b866f9a06488bed45c20e9288a9e0b&start=576&end=1564","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2136869-34b866f9a06488bed45c20e9288a9e0b/thumbnail_576000.jpg","/articles/6378914/Florida/AHCA-outlines-expansion-contracting-changes-for-Florida-PACE-program-as-slot-reversions-rise","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6378914-9d125481354292b0551de8191dd3ddbb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771185162&Signature=gR7RNkLk~EyVJz-I4yVxvufoIY0Um5O9kiSR8iWxY6d45H523O9qIfFiX5Sv3ZAZNZnxJ0puOnsHdtQZc6t~TJSiv7TvbDcnNXHXTUB3ghdbjABfJAZVZtuOcNdi3K3D4v9X7Vk495MWuFoDPjaibNxXlIb7XeJQJDSvWWVucvJiyAyn46hWRQo3TtodXq2TW72ETnVa-H96BSusJFPI2E6KtebtKco~qlUWsCSh~Vu20LtTZ5zcr2FCSHYRaGHIQOl0jG6Fcr5cJAVIfLTQ~u8QpXh6GDN8QAX-0X857xCr4QADMMdrrw1HuKyaar3fkvHgMAjtIT~qkUc0unxqAg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Agency for Health Care Administration told senators it has seen rapid growth in Florida’s Program of All‑Inclusive Care for the Elderly, or PACE, since 2020 and is pursuing a change in contracting to improve transparency and measure return on investment.

Bridal Meyer, deputy secretary for Medicaid and Florida’s Medicaid director, told the Appropriations Committee PACE organizations provide “primary care, social, restorative, and support services for Medicaid and Medicare eligible individuals 55 years of age or older” who live in designated PACE service areas. Meyer said PACE is separate from the statewide Medicaid managed care program and is an alternative enrollment option patients can choose.

Meyer reviewed eligibility and services: enrollees must be 55 or older, at risk of institutionalization, able to live safely in the community and reside in a PACE service area. Services can include acute care, adult day health care, home‑delivered meals, hospital care and community‑based supports. Meyer summarized the program’s federal framework, noting Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) authorization of PACE and Florida’s implementing legislation (chapter 98‑327, Laws of Florida) and described a capitated payment model with an actuarially set upper payment limit used to calculate PACE capitation rates.

The agency said Florida’s PACE program initially began serving members in 2003 and saw slow growth until 2020. Meyer said the agency received five PACE applications between 2015 and 2019; from 2020 through 2024 the agency has received 20 applications. As a result, appropriations for slots have sometimes outpaced the time it takes applicants to complete the CMS readiness and enrollment process, producing a larger share of unfilled slots and increased reversions in recent years. “For some PACE organizations it can take up to 2 years … it takes time for a PACE organization to get operational,” Meyer said.

Meyer described the agency’s current contracting approach — a federal three‑way agreement among CMS, the agency and the PACE organization — as the minimum federal requirement. The agency said it is developing a two‑party contract between the Agency for Health Care Administration and each PACE organization to add state contract requirements including clearer quality and performance metrics, utilization and financial reporting, and a dedicated agency contract manager for each organization. Meyer said the two‑party contract will borrow appropriate elements from the statewide Medicaid managed care contract but be “right sized” for the PACE model.

Senators pressed the agency on the large reversions, whether appropriations have been shifted to other programs, and what concrete dollar savings the two‑party contract could produce. Meyer said the agency cannot yet quantify expected cost savings from enhanced reporting and accountability and offered to follow up on whether funds appropriated for PACE had been realigned to other program areas. On coverage geography, Meyer said slot allocations are typically made by the Legislature for specific counties and expressed willingness to follow up with members on the process for reallocating or applying for slots in particular locales.

Meyer said the agency plans to complete the contract work during the year, “with the goal of getting this contract in place by the end of the year,” and emphasized continued collaboration with PACE organizations, the Department of Elder Affairs for screening, and Department of Children and Families for eligibility functions.

No formal legislative action or vote occurred during the presentation; members asked follow‑up questions and requested additional detail on reversions, slot allocation rules and audited financial reporting.","The Agency for Health Care Administration briefed the Appropriations Committee on the Program of All‑Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), noting rapid application growth since 2020, unfilled appropriated slots, rising reversions, and plans to move from a federal three‑way agreement to a state two‑party contract to improve transparency and data.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6378917,"Senate Appropriations panel reviews $46.8 billion HHS base budget, emphasizes data and outcome measurement",304,211000,515000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2136869-34b866f9a06488bed45c20e9288a9e0b&start=211&end=515","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2136869-34b866f9a06488bed45c20e9288a9e0b/thumbnail_211000.jpg","/articles/6378917/Florida/Senate-Appropriations-panel-reviews-468-billion-HHS-base-budget-emphasizes-data-and-outcome-measurement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6378917-03487298eee4a466128d62a049ccd1f1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771185162&Signature=FjIhXMxE6~QUVXnWxLoJcHgeueLJxVVmXBuPAJcQA-c4H40ITlPb2TMkb9TxxrdY-RRhsgZySDNtQJQa~V5aqolus8uyiQc3QIvjAyF7VDOPdmg2HJCeFISk9nUOTfE2PD1KRdRF7Sz85IKm0hTQEZZovptzedmw8jP1kyXRY8bYfFbvNop61z6G7nnt752SgOg9zfr2wmUGA3O9UKKUYwviSixbhu9PqiwOvzxgQVWk7c5S2MRgMztP8wF~bo050MOMp2Efqqg6paPuuiel88sQR6Z85yOTXJ9Hc-MoMqnwI3A9ukXH06IRk1ltkSukNDzpCqN~CBKGq2VjmfvaYw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services opened its session with a staff overview of the committee’s base budget for the 2025–26 fiscal year, which staff presented as $46,800,000,000 and described as roughly half of the state’s total base budget.

Brooke McKnight, the committee staff director, told senators the HHS base budget will serve as the starting point for development of the 2025–26 budget and stressed that the committee will use its first two meetings to “evaluate existing programs in our budget” and ensure agencies provide performance measures, data collection, and funding histories. “If you do not measure it, you cannot manage it,” Chair Trumbull said during opening remarks, summarizing the oversight principle the committee intends to apply.

The presentation said the HHS silo covers the Agency for Health Care Administration, Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Department of Children and Families, Department of Elder Affairs, Department of Health, and Department of Veterans’ Affairs. McKnight said those agencies together provide medical services to “approximately 4,300,000 Medicaid and 217,000 KidCare enrollees,” pay for almost half of births in the state, and provide long‑term care and home‑and‑community services to thousands of Floridians. She noted the largest share of HHS funding comes from federal sources, followed by general revenue and state trust funds.

McKnight outlined Florida’s incremental budgeting approach: agencies begin with the prior year’s recurring appropriations as the base, and the committee will propose increases or decreases from that starting point. The packet distributed to members includes a 10‑year funding history, an agency summary with FTE counts and base appropriations by program and fund source, line‑item descriptions and a trust fund summary with statutory authority and purpose for each trust fund.

Committee members did not pose questions after the overview but were told agency budget teams were available for follow‑up. The chair directed senators to use the next two hearings to examine performance measures, data collection, accountability, transparency and efficient resource management as the committee considers changes to the base budget.

The committee will receive agency program presentations and has asked presenters to include funding histories and any reversions so members can assess whether appropriated money is being used as intended.

Members in later program reviews returned to the themes McKnight raised — measurement, transparency, and aligning appropriations to demonstrable program performance — when questioning agency presenters about reversions, slots and program administration.","Committee staff presented a $46.8 billion base budget for the Health & Human Services silo and outlined a two‑meeting review plan focused on performance measures, funding history and transparency as the starting point for 2025–26 budget decisions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs highlights outreach, 41:1 federal return on state investment for benefits assistance

Agency for Persons with Disabilities seeks new procurement, emphasizes prevention and community partnerships for dental care

AHCA outlines expansion, contracting changes for Florida PACE program as slot reversions rise

Senate Appropriations panel reviews $46.8 billion HHS base budget, emphasizes data and outcome measurement