Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed a bill that requires workers compensation payments for emergency services that aren’t subject to a maximum reimbursement allowance be set at 250% of what Medicare pays for the same service.
H.B. 989 would direct the Department of Financial Services to contract with an actuarial firm to set payments for emergency services and care at 250% of the Medicare amount. The rate dictated by H.B. 989 would apply to all emergency services unless there is already a maximum reimbursement amount for the service or if the cost is set in a contract.
A comprehensive bill, H.B. 989 also adds leave time and retention requirements for a program that provides a one-time cash payout of $25,000 for firefighters who contract cancer in the line of duty. Full-time firefighters with five years of experience can select the case payout in lieu of pursuing comp benefits for specific types of cancers.
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