Florida HB 4059: Compensation for Health Care Services for Inmates in Polk County

Bill Text

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HB 4059 2026 Legislature

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An act relating to compensation for health care 2
services for inmates in Polk County; providing 3
definitions; limiting compensation to a health care 4
provider that provides any medical services for an 5
inmate housed in a Polk County detention center under 6
certain conditions; limiting compensation to an entity 7
that provides emergency medical transportation 8
services for an inmate housed in a Polk County 9
detention center if the entity does not have a 10
contract with the county to provide such services; 11
providing applicability; providing an effective date. 12
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 14
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Section 1. (1) As used in this act, the term: 16
(a) "Air ambulance" means a fixed-wing or rotary-wing 17
aircraft used for, or intended to be used for, air 18
transportation of sick or injured persons requiring or likely to 19
require medical attention during transport. 20
(b) "Emergency medical services vehicle" means a privately 21
or publicly owned vehicle or vessel that is designed, 22
constructed, reconstructed, maintained, equipped, or operated 23
for, and is used for, or intended to be used for, land or water 24
transportation of sick or injured persons requiring or likely to 25

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HB 4059 2026 Legislature

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require medical attention during transport. 26
(c) "Emergency medical transportation services" includes, 27
but is not limited to, services rendered by means of an 28
emergency medical services vehicle or air ambulance. 29
(d) "Health care provider" means: 30
1. A hospital licensed under chapter 395, Florida 31
Statutes. 32
2. A physician or physician assistant licensed under 33
chapter 458, Florida Statutes. 34
3. An osteopathic physician or physician assistant 35
licensed under chapter 459, Florida Statutes. 36
4. A podiatric physician licensed under chapter 461, 37
Florida Statutes. 38
5. A health maintenance organization certificated under 39
part I of chapter 641, Florida Statutes. 40
6. An ambulatory surgical center licensed under chapter 41
395, Florida Statutes. 42
7. A facility the primary purpose of which is to provide 43
human medical diagnostic services or a facility providing 44
nonsurgical human medical treatment, to which facility the 45
patient is admitted and from which facility the patient is 46
discharged within the same working day, and which facility is 47
not part of a hospital. However, the term does not include a 48
facility existing for the primary purpose of performing 49
terminations of pregnancy or an office maintained by a physician 50

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HB 4059 2026 Legislature

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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or dentist for the practice of medicine. 51
8. A professional association, partnership, corporation, 52
joint venture, or other association composed of the persons 53
listed in subparagraphs 2., 3., and 4. for professional 54
activity. 55
(2)(a) Except as specifically provided in this subsection, 56
compensation to a health care provider to provide any medical 57
services for an inmate housed in a Polk County detention center 58
may not exceed 110 percent of the Medicare allowable rate if the 59
health care provider does not have a contract with Polk County 60
to provide inmate medical services. 61
(b) Compensation to a health care provider may not exceed 62
125 percent of the Medicare allowable rate if: 63
1. The health care provider does not have a contract with 64
Polk County to provide inmate medical services; and 65
2. The health care provider reported a negative operating 66
margin for the previous year to the Agency for Health Care 67
Administration through hospital-audited financial data. 68
(3) Compensation to an entity to provide emergency medical 69
transportation services for an inmate housed in a Polk County 70
detention center may not exceed 110 percent of the Medicare 71
allowable rate if the entity does not have a contract with Polk 72
County to provide inmate emergency medical transportation 73
services. 74
(4) This act does not apply to charges for medical 75

ENROLLED
HB 4059 2026 Legislature

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

services provided at a hospital operated by Polk County. 76
Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. 77