Florida Hospital Association Commends Governor DeSantis for Championing Investments for Florida’s Most Vulnerable and Bolstering the State’s Health Care Workforce Retention in Fiscal Year 2024-2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 5, 2023
CONTACT: JULIET HAUSER
(941) 830-2922
Tallahassee, FL – The Florida Hospital Association (FHA) today commended Governor Ron DeSantis and his administration for prioritizing substantial health care investments in the state’s proposed “Focus on Florida’s Future” budget.
“FHA is grateful to Governor DeSantis for his commitment to investing in the future of Florida’s health care,” said Mary C. Mayhew, president and CEO of FHA. “A modern, sophisticated health care system that addresses both the physical and behavioral health of Floridians will become increasingly important as our state’s population continues to grow and age. FHA is especially pleased to see $116 million in increased reimbursement for labor and delivery services to protect our state’s most vulnerable mothers. FHA is also enthusiastic about the $10 million in recurring funds for the Rural Hospital Capital Improvement Grant Program, which will help ensure Floridians in every corner of the state have access to high-quality care. By recommending investments in health care, Governor DeSantis is helping our hospitals continue to provide high quality, accessible care for our families and visitors while preparing for the demands of the future.”
Governor DeSantis’ proposed budget includes dynamic investments in the state Medicaid program:
- No cuts to hospital base rates for Medicaid Inpatient & Outpatient services.
- $116.8 million Medicaid rate increase for hospital labor and delivery services.
- Authority to continue Florida’s LIP, DSH & DPP programs.
- $79 million Medicaid rate increase for physicians providing adult care.
- $429 million for Graduate Medical Education, maintains increased investments made during the 2023 legislative session.
The proposed budget continues several efforts to support the state’s health care workforce, including the LINE and PIPELINE funds for nursing education programs and expanding the nursing workforce. The proposed budget also includes several investments in Florida’s faculty and students, notably $150 million for the State University System and the Florida College System for the recruitment and retention of highly qualified faculty.
By 2035, the Florida Hospital Association forecasts a shortage of nearly 60,000 nurses in the Sunshine State. While vacancy rates for hospital nurses have dropped from 21% in 2022 to 13% in 2023, and turnover dropped from 32% to 20% over the same period, the need to train and retain Florida’s health care workforce remains as Florida’s population continues to grow and the demand for health care rises.
Floridians with mental illness and substance use disorder often cannot find timely access to critical services in their communities. To address the behavioral health needs of Floridians, it is vital that Florida continues to strengthen its community-based and support services for those in need of these vital behavioral health services.
The budget proposal released today includes incredible investments to support Florida’s behavioral health needs. Programs funded include:
- $294.6 million to improve access to mobile response services and support collaboration between primary care and behavioral health providers to support crisis diversion.
- $8.2 million recurring Medicaid funds to support integrated physical and behavioral health collaborative care models to provide comprehensive care for individuals with mental illness.
- $153 million to support the Office of Opioid Recovery, an accredited Graduate Medical Education program focused on increasing the number of psychiatric residents and other initiatives that support education, treatment, and prevention for individuals with substance use disorders.
- $31.8 million to expand the Coordinated Opioid Recovery (CORE) Network, a first-of-its-kind initiative to eliminate the stigma of addiction and treat substance use disorder by providing long-term treatment and wrap-around support.
Learn more about The Focus on Florida’s Future Budget for Fiscal Year 2024-2025 at www.flgov.com and FocusonFloridasFuture.com.
For more information about FHA, visit www.fha.org.
ABOUT THE FHA
Founded in 1927, the Florida Hospital Association (FHA) is the leading voice for health care in the State of Florida. Through representation and advocacy, education, and informational services, the Florida Hospital Association supports the mission of over 200 hospitals and health care systems to provide the highest quality of care to the patients we serve. Led by President and CEO Mary Mayhew, the Florida Hospital Association is located in Tallahassee and is governed by a Board of Trustees and officers elected by the member institutions.
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