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Guiding Principals for Florida Ambulance Association Advocacy

  • Florida Ambulance Association believes that mobile healthcare, including both 911 emergency medical services and interfacility mobile healthcare, is an essential part of the healthcare continuum.
  • Florida Ambulance Association supports the current COPCN system.
  • Florida Ambulance Association supports the NFPA and CAAS ground vehicle standards over Triple K specs.

Senate Bill 528 (2020) "Nonemergency Medical Transportation Services"
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2020/528/ByCategory

*This bill has died in committee without a House companion bill*

Position Updated: March 17, 2020 11:56am ET

The Florida Ambulance Association strongly opposes SB528 introduced by Senator Brandes. While the stated purpose of the bill is to improve ambulance access for Medicaid recipients, its actual effect is to erode the patient and provider protections afforded by the long-standing Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (COPCN) system.

Ambulance services provide care to all people, 24/7/365. They are especially proud to provide disproportionate care to the most vulnerable populations in Florida, including seniors, low-income residents, and Medicaid recipients. Beyond the licensing requirements administered by the state, COPCNs empower county officials to ensure that the ambulance providers in their particular area have the personnel, equipment, insurance, and resources in place to meet the specific needs of their communities. Fracturing the COPCN system could potentially create two separate and unequal tiers of service: one for Medicaid patients unprotected by COPCN requirements, and the other  for the rest of the population.

The COPCN system as it currently exists also incentivizes ambulance providers to plant deep local roots, as demonstrated by EMS’s comprehensive disaster preparation and response as well as countless CPR, Stop the Bleed, Touch-a-Truck, and other events organized by these pillars of the community. An EMS provider who demonstrates that their services are necessary and in compliance with a community's specific requirements does so in good faith, with the expectation that the locality would enforce those same standards for all of the providers in that county. Senate Bill 528 as written undermines this trust and collaboration in addition to eroding patient protections, to the detriment of all.

Senate Bill 864 and House Bill 1217 (2020) "Surrendered Newborn Infants"
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2020/864
https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2020/1217

Position Updated: March 9, 2020 9:27am ET

This legislation modifies provisions relating to surrendered newborn infants, to increase from seven to 30 days the age for relinquishment of an infant under the program and to authorize the placement of surrendered infants in a newborn safety device at a hospital, EMS station, or fire station, if such is staffed 24 hours per day. The bill provides specifications for the use of the devices. 

The Florida Ambulance Association supports this legislation so long as the device is not mandatory. 

Senate Bill 160 and House Bill 573 (2020) "Peer Support for First Responders"

Position Updated: March 17, 2020 12:03pm ET

This legislation provides confidentiality for peer support communications between a first responder and a first responder peer. The bill defines “first responder” to include a law enforcement officer, firefighter, emergency medical technician, paramedic, public safety communications officer, dispatcher, or 911 operator. HB 573 passed the House and the Senate and has been ordered enrolled.