Bill Text: FL S0244 | 2016 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Community Health Worker Certification

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2016-03-11 - Died in Health Policy [S0244 Detail]

Download: Florida-2016-S0244-Introduced.html
       Florida Senate - 2016                                     SB 244
       
       
        
       By Senator Braynon
       
       
       
       
       
       36-00293-16                                            2016244__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to community health worker
    3         certification; creating s. 381.989, F.S.; defining
    4         terms; requiring the Department of Health to approve
    5         qualified third-party credentialing entities to
    6         develop and administer voluntary community health
    7         worker certification programs; establishing criteria
    8         for the approval of a third-party credentialing
    9         entity; requiring a third-party credentialing entity
   10         to issue a certification to certain qualified
   11         individuals who meet the grandfathering standards
   12         established by the entity; establishing a maximum fee
   13         for such certification; providing an effective date.
   14  
   15         WHEREAS, Florida faces a critical shortage of health care
   16  providers in primary care, oral health, and behavioral health,
   17  particularly in rural and inner-city areas, and
   18         WHEREAS, there is substantial evidence that the
   19  comprehensive coordination of care for individuals who have
   20  chronic diseases and the provision of information regarding
   21  preventive care can improve individual health, create a
   22  healthier population, reduce health care costs, and increase
   23  appropriate access to health care, and
   24         WHEREAS, community health workers have demonstrated success
   25  in increasing patient access to health care in medically
   26  underserved communities, providing culturally appropriate
   27  education regarding disease prevention and management, providing
   28  translation and interpretation services for non-English
   29  speakers, improving health outcomes through the coordination of
   30  care, increasing individual health care literacy and advocacy,
   31  and improving the health care of medically underserved
   32  communities, while reducing the overall costs to the state’s
   33  health care system, and
   34         WHEREAS, the Legislature recognizes that the services
   35  provided by community health workers are an essential component
   36  of the health care delivery system in this state, and
   37         WHEREAS, the Florida Community Health Worker Coalition has
   38  begun to develop a voluntary process that will ensure that only
   39  qualified individuals are designated as certified community
   40  health workers by a department-approved, third-party
   41  credentialing entity, which will allow community health workers
   42  to earn a living wage and be part of an integrated health
   43  delivery team, NOW, THEREFORE,
   44  
   45  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   46  
   47         Section 1. Section 381.989, Florida Statutes, is created to
   48  read:
   49         381.989 Community health worker.—
   50         (1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
   51         (a) “Certification” means the voluntary process by which a
   52  department-approved, third-party credentialing entity issues a
   53  credential to an eligible individual to function as a certified
   54  community health worker.
   55         (b) “Certified community health worker” means a community
   56  health worker to whom the department-approved, third-party
   57  credentialing entity has issued a credential affirming that
   58  individual’s mastery of community health worker core
   59  competencies.
   60         (c) “Community health worker” means a frontline health care
   61  worker who is a trusted member of, or who has an unusually deep
   62  understanding of, the community that he or she serves and who
   63  performs the following functions:
   64         1. Serves as a liaison, link, or intermediary between
   65  health care or social services or service providers and members
   66  of the community in order to facilitate patient access to health
   67  care services, improve the quality of such services, and help
   68  make health care providers more culturally aware of the
   69  community served.
   70         2. Provides information regarding available resources and
   71  social support and serves as a health care advocate for
   72  individuals in a community setting.
   73         3. Builds individual and community capacity to prevent
   74  disease and promote health by increasing knowledge regarding
   75  wellness programs, disease prevention, and self-sufficiency
   76  among the members of the community through a range of
   77  activities, such as community outreach, education, and advocacy.
   78         4. Collects data to help identify the health care needs in
   79  a medically underserved community by:
   80         a. Assisting members of the community in improving their
   81  ability to effectively communicate with health care providers.
   82         b. Providing culturally and linguistically appropriate
   83  health and nutrition education.
   84         c. Advocating for improved individual and community health,
   85  including oral health, behavioral health, and nutrition.
   86         d. Providing referrals, followup, and coordination of care.
   87         (d) “Core competencies” means the basic knowledge, skills,
   88  and abilities necessary for a community health worker to carry
   89  out his or her work responsibilities.
   90         (e) “Department” means the Department of Health.
   91         (f) “Grandfathering” means a time-limited process by which
   92  a department-approved, third-party credentialing entity grants
   93  community health worker certification to a qualified individual
   94  who was providing community health worker services before the
   95  establishment of the community health worker certification
   96  program as provided in this section.
   97         (g) “Medically underserved community” means a community in
   98  a geographic area that has a shortage of health care providers
   99  and a population that includes individuals who do not have
  100  public or private health insurance, are unable to pay for health
  101  care, and have incomes at or below 185 percent of the federal
  102  poverty level.
  103         (h) “Recertification” means the biennial renewal of a
  104  community health worker certification.
  105         (2)THIRD-PARTY CREDENTIALING ENTITIES.—The department
  106  shall approve one or more third-party credentialing entities to
  107  develop and administer voluntary community health worker
  108  certification programs for individuals who provide community
  109  health worker services. A third-party credentialing entity shall
  110  request such approval from the department in writing. In order
  111  to obtain department approval, the third-party credentialing
  112  entity must demonstrate its ability to:
  113         (a)Establish professional requirements and standards that
  114  an applicant must achieve in order to obtain a community health
  115  worker certification, including forms and procedures for the
  116  receipt, review, and approval of applications for initial
  117  community health worker certification and for recertification,
  118  or to qualify for grandfathering, as that term is defined in
  119  this section.
  120         (b) Develop and apply core competencies and examination
  121  instruments according to nationally recognized certification and
  122  psychometric standards.
  123         (c) Maintain a professional code of ethics and disciplinary
  124  procedures that apply to certified community health workers.
  125         (d) Maintain a publicly accessible database of all
  126  individuals holding a community health worker certification,
  127  which must include any ethical violations committed by the
  128  individual.
  129         (e) Require continuing education for recertification or
  130  reinstatement of a community health worker certification.
  131         (f) Administer a continuing education provider program to
  132  ensure that only qualified providers offer continuing education
  133  to a certified community health worker.
  134         (g) Maintain a community health worker advisory committee
  135  of at least 8 and no more than 15 members consisting of at least
  136  2 representatives of the department, 5 representatives of the
  137  Florida Community Health Worker Coalition, and up to 2
  138  representatives of other key stakeholder organizations
  139  identified by the department. Such members shall be appointed by
  140  the organization they represent. The department-approved, third
  141  party credentialing entity may appoint additional members to the
  142  advisory committee.
  143         (3)GRANDFATHERING.—Department-approved, third-party
  144  credentialing entities shall, for a period of at least 15 months
  145  after implementation of the community health worker
  146  certification program, award a community health worker
  147  certification to an individual who meets the entity’s
  148  grandfathering standards. The cost of certification for each
  149  grandfathered community health worker may not exceed $50.
  150         Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.

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