Florida HB 785: Two-way Radio Communication Enhancement Systems

Bill Text

HB 785 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb785-00
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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

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to coverage for treatment of 2
stuttering; amending s. 409.906, F.S.; authorizing the 3
Agency for Health Care Administration to pay for 4
certain services and devices as a treatment of 5
stuttering for Medicaid recipients; providing 6
requirements for such coverages; authorizing speech 7
therapy in person and via telehealth as a treatment 8
for stuttering; authorizing the agency to include the 9
use of certain communication technologies, 10
applications, and platforms for such telehealth 11
treatment; providing definitions; authorizing the 12
agency to seek federal approval for a specified 13
purpose; creating ss. 627.64192, 627.66912, and 14
641.3109, F.S.; providing definitions; requiring 15
certain individual health insurance policies, group 16
health insurance policies, and health maintenance 17
contracts, respectively, to provide coverage for 18
specified services and devices as treatment for 19
stuttering; providing requirements for such coverages; 20
authorizing speech therapy in person and via 21
telehealth; providing requirements for telehealth 22
coverages; providing an effective date. 23
24
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 25

HB 785 2026

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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

26
Section 1. Subsection (30) is added to section 409.906, 27
Florida Statutes, to read: 28
409.906 Optional Medicaid services.—Subject to specific 29
appropriations, the agency may make payments for services which 30
are optional to the state under Title XIX of the Social Security 31
Act and are furnished by Medicaid providers to recipients who 32
are determined to be eligible on the dates on which the services 33
were provided. Any optional service that is provided shall be 34
provided only when medically necessary and in accordance with 35
state and federal law. Optional services rendered by providers 36
in mobile units to Medicaid recipients may be restricted or 37
prohibited by the agency. Nothing in this section shall be 38
construed to prevent or limit the agency from adjusting fees, 39
reimbursement rates, lengths of stay, number of visits, or 40
number of services, or making any other adjustments necessary to 41
comply with the availability of moneys and any limitations or 42
directions provided for in the General Appropriations Act or 43
chapter 216. If necessary to safeguard the state's systems of 44
providing services to elderly and disabled persons and subject 45
to the notice and review provisions of s. 216.177, the Governor 46
may direct the Agency for Health Care Administration to amend 47
the Medicaid state plan to delete the optional Medicaid service 48
known as "Intermediate Care Facilities for the Developmentally 49
Disabled." Optional services may include: 50

HB 785 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb785-00
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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

(30) HABILITATIVE AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES AND DEVICES 51
FOR TREATMENT OF STUTTERING.— 52
(a) The agency may pay for the following services and 53
devices as a treatment of stuttering for a recipient: 54
1. Habilitative services and devices, including 55
habilitative speech therapy, regardless of whether the 56
stuttering is classified as developmental. 57
2. Rehabilitative services and devices, including 58
rehabilitative speech therapy. 59
3. Both habilitative services and devices and 60
rehabilitative services and devices as provided in subparagraphs 61
1. and 2., respectively. 62
(b)1. The coverage for habilitative services and devices 63
and rehabilitative services and devices provided under paragraph 64
(a) is not subject to any limit: 65
a. On the number of visits a recipient may make to a 66
speech-language pathologist; or 67
b. Based on the type of disease, injury, disorder, or 68
other medical condition that resulted in the stuttering. 69
2. The habilitative speech therapy and rehabilitative 70
speech therapy provided under paragraph (a) may be rendered in 71
person or via telehealth. For reimbursement for speech therapy 72
rendered via telehealth, the agency may also include the use of 73
any communication technology, application, or platform to 74
deliver telehealth services which complies with applicable 75

HB 785 2026

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

privacy provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and 76
Accountability Act of 1996, 42 U.S.C. ss. 1320d et seq., as 77
amended. 78
(c) As used in this subsection, the term: 79
1. "Habilitative services and devices" means health care 80
services and assistive tech