Bill > S1026

This bill establishes a new optional Medicaid service for community health worker (CHW) services in Florida, expanding healthcare access for vulnerable populations. The bill defines a community health worker as a frontline public health worker who is a trusted community member and provides a range of health and social services, including health promotion, wellness coaching, cultural mediation, translation services, health system navigation, patient advocacy, appointment reminders, treatment adherence support, home visits, community assessments, transportation assistance, and care coordination. The Agency for Health Care Administration is authorized to pay for these services and must adopt rules specifying eligible services provided by CHWs. The bill also amends existing statutes to add community health worker services to the list of Medicaid services that can be reimbursed on a fee-for-service basis and requires Medicaid managed care plans to include these services in their minimum benefits package. By recognizing and formally integrating community health workers into the Medicaid system, the bill aims to improve healthcare access, particularly for underserved and marginalized communities, by leveraging trusted local health workers who understand the specific cultural and social contexts of their communities. The provisions will take effect on July 1, 2026.

https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/1026