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HB 5301FLORIDA · STATEWIDESession 2026Died pending reference review under Rule 4.7(2)
High Impact

Proposed Changes to Florida Medicaid Programs and Nursing Home Reimbursement

Original title: Health Care

February 16, 2026

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Where This Stands

Currently Died pending reference review under Rule 4.7(2). The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Introduced.

Procedural history

14 actions
  1. Feb 25, 2026Senate
    On Committee agenda-- Appropriations, 03/02/26, 12:00 pm, 110 Senate Building
  2. Feb 20, 2026House
    Conference Committee appointed
  3. Feb 19, 2026SenateEnrolled
    Received
  4. Feb 19, 2026SenateCommittee
    Referred to Appropriations
  5. Feb 19, 2026Senate
    In Messages
  6. Feb 19, 2026House
    Requests that the Senate pass the bill as passed by the House or agree to include the bill in the Budget Conference
Show 8 earlier actions
  1. Feb 19, 2026HouseFloor
    Passed; YEAS 104, NAYS 0
  2. Feb 19, 2026HouseFloor
    Read 3rd time
  3. Feb 19, 2026House
    Added to Third Reading Calendar
  4. Feb 19, 2026HouseFloor
    Read 2nd time
  5. Feb 16, 2026HouseIntroduced
    1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
  6. Feb 16, 2026House
    Bill added to Special Order Calendar (2/19/2026)
  7. Feb 16, 2026House
    Bill referred to House Calendar
  8. Feb 16, 2026HouseIntroduced
    Filed

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

The Frame

What this does

The bill would alter how Medicaid providers are paid, how patients access prescription drugs, and how funding is transferred between state agencies for individuals with developmental disabilities, directly impacting the operations of health care facilities and the services available to Medicaid recipients.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Medicaid recipients

Recipients may face new prior authorization requirements for drugs and changes in how their health plans are evaluated and managed.

Nursing home providers

Providers will be subject to new reimbursement methodologies, quality incentive programs, and reporting requirements.

Managed care plans

Plans face new 8-year contract terms, mandatory quality reporting, and a 2% withhold incentive based on infant mortality metrics.

Persons with disabilities

Individuals may access new navigation services through the Eligibility Assistance Program and experience changes in funding transfers between state agencies.

What changed

Last recorded activity February 16, 2026.

What's next

Introduced.

Summary

This bill proposes significant changes to Florida's Medicaid program, including new reimbursement methods for nursing homes, stricter prescription drug management, and the creation of an Eligibility Assistance Program for people with disabilities. It also updates managed care contract terms and establishes new quality-based financial incentives for health plans.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

How will this bill affect nursing home payments?
The bill revises the methodology for calculating nursing home reimbursement, including creating direct and indirect care subcomponents and implementing quality incentive payments based on metrics like infant mortality.
What is the new Eligibility Assistance Program?
It is a new program within the Department of Children and Families designed to help people with disabilities navigate the process of becoming eligible for Medicaid and other community-based services.
Will my prescription drug coverage change?
The bill authorizes stricter management of drug therapies, including requirements, for non-preferred drugs, and a new counterfeit-proof prescription pad requirement for doctors.

Why It Matters

The bill would alter how Medicaid providers are paid, how patients access prescription drugs, and how funding is transferred between state agencies for individuals with developmental disabilities, directly impacting the operations of health care facilities and the services available to Medicaid recipients.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Lobbying Activity

ACG Advocacy

on behalf of Artera

2026

HEALTH ISSUESTELECOMMUNICATIONS

Government procurement health care.

ACG Advocacy

on behalf of 11:11 Media Impact

2026

HEALTH ISSUESCIVIL RIGHTS/CIVIL LIBERTIES

Youth treatment facility oversight. Foster care issues.

A STREET STRATEGIES

on behalf of National Association of Convenience Stores

2026

FUEL/GAS/OILBANKINGTOBACCOTAXATION/INTERNAL REVENUE CODE

Issues relating to renewable fuels and energy policy Issues relating to UST regulations Issues relating to renewable fuels standard implementation Issues relating to retailer liability associated with selling alternative and renewable fuels Issues relating to the gasoline and diesel fuel excise tax Issues relating to Biodiesel Blenders' Tax Credit Issues relating to the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property tax credit Issues relating to Gas prices and fuel markets, price gouging E15 RVP waiver

ACADIA PHARMACEUTICALS

$700,000

2026

HEALTH ISSUESMEDICARE/MEDICAIDTAXATION/INTERNAL REVENUE CODETRADE (DOMESTIC/FOREIGN)

Implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, ORPHAN Cures Act (HR 946, S 1862), Mikaela Naylon Give Kids A Chance Act (HR 1262), Give Kids A Chance Act (S 932), Cameron's Law (HR 1414), Kids Access to Care Act (Accelerating HR 1509, S 752), Small Biotech Innovations Act (HR 3731, S 1930), EPIC Act (HR 1492, S 832), One Big Beautiful Bill Act (HR 1), BINSA Act, H.R. 9102, Issues related to protecting patient access to medicines in Medicare and Medicaid, Issues related to access to medicines for Parkinson's disease patients, Issues related to Antipsychotic use in Medicare, Issues related to most-favored-nation policies.

AARP

$4,110,000

2026

HEALTH ISSUESMEDICARE/MEDICAIDLAW ENFORCEMENT/CRIME/CRIMINAL JUSTICEPHARMACY

P.L. 119-21, One Big Beautiful Bill Act H.R. 8867, Planning for Long-term Aging Needs (PLAN) Act H.R. 5861, Legacy Act of 2025 H.R. 9393, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act. H.R. 9396, the Prior Authorization Accountability Act. S. 4916, the Aging with Artificial Intelligence Act. H.R. 8100, Safe Staffing Saves Lives Act. S. 3886, Nurses Belong in Nursing Homes Act. H.R. 6766/S. 3492, the Essential Caregivers Act of 2025. H.R. 7966/S. 4118, Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act. S. 2120, the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025 H.R. 5575, the Firefighters Assisting Seniors to Emergency Response (FASTER) Act of 2025. H.R. 3954/S. 4641, Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act. H.R.5554/S.2831, Stand Strong for Medicare Act. S. 3439/H.R. 6735, Connecting Caregivers to Medicare Act and efforts related to the bill S. 1227/H.R. 2491, Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers Act S. 668/H.R. 3183, Supporting Access to Falls Education and Prevention and Strengthening Training Efforts and Promoting Safety Initiatives (SAFE STEPS) for Veterans Act of 2025 CMS-1851-P, Hospice Proposed rule. CMS-1843-P, Skilled Nursing Facility Proposed rule. CMS-1844-P, Home Health Proposed rule. No bill number. Health care transparency. No bill number. Discussed use of artificial intelligence and health data technology. No bill number. Discussed health-related policies and activities around the fall respiratory virus season. No bill number. Discussed health insurance affordability proposals. No bill number. Discussed Nursing Home staffing standards, safety, and quality. No bill number. Discussed Nursing home transparency and ownership requirements. No bill number. Discussed home health, hospice, and long-term care. No bill number. Discussed falls prevention. No bill number. Discussed social isolation. No bill number. Discussed HUD Assisted Living Requirements No bill number. Discussed family caregiving. No bill number. Discussed AARP paper on Medicare Caregiver Training Services. No bill number. Discussed Medicaid community engagement interim final rule, including the family caregiver exemption. No bill number. Discussed the paid direct care workforce in long-term care. No bill number. Discussed the unaffordability of long-term care. No bill number. Discussed Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration Program and Medicaid HCBS spousal impoverishment protections. No bill number. Discussed Medicaid fraud and family caregivers, Medicaid self-direction programs. No bill number. Discussed sandwich generation family caregiver hearing and submitted a statement for the record discussing family caregivers and sandwich generation caregivers, programs that support them, AARP caregiving resources, and federal policies to support sandwich generation caregivers and caregivers more broadly. No bill number. Discussed long-term care. No bill number. CMS-2453-NC; Medicaid Program; 2028 Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Quality Measure Set Submitted comments No bill number. Discussed expanding access to home care. No bill number. Discussed the increasing cost of home care No bill number. Discussed HSA use for telehealth chronic care management services/subscriptions. No bill number. Discussed artificial intelligence and technology

on behalf of Caritas Home Health Care

2026

Senate LDAView filing →

on behalf of Florida Health Care Association

2026

Senate LDAView filing →

on behalf of Florida Health Care Association

2026

Senate LDAView filing →

Mary J. Griffin & Associates

on behalf of Benova Inc.

Senate LDAView filing →

McGANN INC. TERRY M.

on behalf of MAXIMUS

Senate LDAView filing →

Voting Record

Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Shift to Quality-Based Withholds

The bill moves toward a more aggressive quality-based incentive model for managed care plans, specifically tying 2% of payments to infant mortality rates.

Connected Entities

organizationSenateThe body that will consider the billMap →
organizationAppropriations CommitteeThe committee responsible for reviewing the billMap →
organizationHouse of RepresentativesThe legislative body that passed the billMap →
organizationConference CommitteeThe committee appointed to resolve differences between the House and Senate versMap →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance85
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz30
    Current news / social attention level

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