Bill Text: FL S0168 | 2024 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Congenital Cytomegalovirus Screenings
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2024-05-13 - Chapter No. 2024-164 [S0168 Detail]
Download: Florida-2024-S0168-Enrolled.html
ENROLLED 2024 Legislature CS for SB 168 2024168er 1 2 An act relating to congenital cytomegalovirus 3 screenings; amending s. 383.145, F.S.; requiring 4 certain hospitals to administer congenital 5 cytomegalovirus screenings on newborns admitted to the 6 hospital under specified circumstances; requiring that 7 the screenings be initiated within a specified 8 timeframe; providing construction; providing coverage 9 under the Medicaid program for the screenings and any 10 medically necessary follow-up reevaluations; requiring 11 that newborns diagnosed with congenital 12 cytomegalovirus be referred to a primary care 13 physician for medical management, treatment, and 14 follow-up services; requiring that children diagnosed 15 with a congenital cytomegalovirus infection without 16 hearing loss be referred to the Children’s Medical 17 Services Early Intervention Program and be deemed 18 eligible for evaluation and any medically necessary 19 follow-up reevaluations and monitoring under the 20 program; providing an effective date. 21 22 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 23 24 Section 1. Paragraphs (a), (k), and (l) of subsection (3) 25 of section 383.145, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 26 383.145 Newborn and infant hearing screening.— 27 (3) REQUIREMENTS FOR SCREENING OF NEWBORNS; INSURANCE 28 COVERAGE; REFERRAL FOR ONGOING SERVICES.— 29 (a)1. Each hospital or other state-licensed birthing 30 facility that provides maternity and newborn care services shall 31 ensure that all newborns are, before discharge, screened for the 32 detection of hearing loss to prevent the consequences of 33 unidentified disorders. If a newborn fails the screening for the 34 detection of hearing loss, the hospital or other state-licensed 35 birthing facility must administer a test approved by the United 36 States Food and Drug Administration or another diagnostically 37 equivalent test on the newborn to screen for congenital 38 cytomegalovirus before the newborn becomes 21 days of age or 39 before discharge, whichever occurs earlier. 40 2. Each hospital that provides neonatal intensive care 41 services shall administer a test approved by the United States 42 Food and Drug Administration or another diagnostically 43 equivalent test to screen for congenital cytomegalovirus in each 44 newborn admitted to the hospital as a result of a premature 45 birth occurring before 35 weeks’ gestation, for cardiac care, or 46 for medical or surgical treatment requiring an anticipated stay 47 of 3 weeks or longer. Such screening must be initiated before 48 the newborn becomes 21 days of age. 49 3. If a newborn requires transfer to another hospital for a 50 higher level of care, the receiving hospital must initiate the 51 congenital cytomegalovirus screening if it was not already 52 performed by the transferring hospital or birthing facility. For 53 newborns transferred or admitted for intensive and prolonged 54 care, the congenital cytomegalovirus screening must be initiated 55 regardless of whether the newborn failed a hearing screening. 56 (k) The initial proceduresprocedurefor the congenital 57 cytomegalovirus screening and the hearing screening of the 58 newborn or infant and any medically necessary follow-up 59 reevaluations leading to diagnosis areshall be acovered 60 benefitsbenefitfor Medicaid patients covered by a fee-for 61 service program. For Medicaid patients enrolled in HMOs, 62 providers mustshallbe reimbursed directly by the Medicaid 63 Program Office at the Medicaid rate. This service ismaynotbe64 considered a covered service for the purposes of establishing 65 the payment rate for Medicaid HMOs. All health insurance 66 policies and health maintenance organizations as provided under 67 ss. 627.6416, 627.6579, and 641.31(30), except for supplemental 68 policies that only provide coverage for specific diseases, 69 hospital indemnity, or Medicare supplement, or to the 70 supplemental policies, mustshallcompensate providers for the 71 covered benefit at the contracted rate. Nonhospital-based 72 providers are eligible to bill Medicaid for the professional and 73 technical component of each procedure code. 74 (l) A childwho isdiagnosed as having permanent hearing 75 loss or a congenital cytomegalovirus infection must be referred 76 to the primary care physician for medical management, treatment, 77 and follow-up services. Furthermore, in accordance with Part C 78 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Pub. L. No. 79 108-446, Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities, any child from 80 birth to 36 months of agewho isdiagnosed as having hearing 81 loss that requires ongoing special hearing services must be 82 referred to the Children’s Medical Services Early Intervention 83 Program serving the geographical area in which the child 84 resides. A child diagnosed with a congenital cytomegalovirus 85 infection without hearing loss must be referred to the 86 Children’s Medical Services Early Intervention Program and be 87 deemed eligible for a baseline evaluation and any medically 88 necessary follow-up reevaluations and monitoring. 89 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.