1. February 9, 2012
Senator Don Gaetz
420 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
Dear Senator Gaetz:
We, the signed patient and provider organizations, write to you to express our fervent desire to expand
and strengthen the patient protections currently in Florida statute. On behalf of Florida’s most vulnerable
citizens, we are seeking your leadership and legislative support for Senate Bill (SB) 1316 that addresses
concerns in the areas of continuity of care, formulary requirements, and access to medicines and therapy
restrictions. Health care providers have the expertise to know what is best for patients and must have
access to a full range of therapeutic options to use as they see fit for their patients. They should not be
2. burdened with administrative hoops to jump through to secure the most appropriate therapy for their
patients. Ultimately, physicians, not bureaucrats, should make the determination of what is the best
course of medication therapy for a patient.
We seek your assistance in protecting Medicaid managed care plan patients’ access to needed medicines.
Access restrictions can prohibit a provider from prescribing what they believe is the best therapy option
for a patient. It is imperative certain access protections be implemented. Protections such as continuity of
care, adequate product selection, and ensuring a clear and simple path for prescribers to navigate the prior
authorization process are essential to patient health. In the poorest and most vulnerable populations,
convincing people to remain compliant on their medications can be challenging. Without these
protections, unnecessary barriers to needed drug therapies could deter patients from adhering to their
therapeutic regimens. Finally, we believe that the Agency must oversee these protections and issue a
report on the impact of managed care expansion on patients’ access to medically necessary items and
services to safeguard the integrity of the program.
Respectfully, we ask that you and your fellow members of the Florida House and Senate implement these
critical recommendations.
Sincerely,
Amigos por la Salud
Arthritis Foundation Florida Chapter
Central Florida Urban League
Community Health Charities of Florida
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance Tampa Bay Inc.
Elder Care Advocacy of Florida
Epilepsy Association of the Big Bend
Florida Academy of Family Physicians
Florida Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics
Florida Legal Services, Inc.
Florida Medical Association, Inc.
Florida Osteopathic Medical Association
Florida Partners in Crisis
Florida Society of Clinical Oncology
Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Florida Transplant Survivors Coalition, Inc.
Health Council of South Florida
H.E.A.L.S. of the South
Hispanic Health Initiatives, Inc.
Interamerican College of Physicians and
Surgeons
Medicare Rx Access Network of Florida
Mental Health Association of Central Florida
NAMI Florida
Partnership for Prescription Assistance
Florida
PhRMA
Physicians for Reform
Sickle Cell Disease Association of Florida
Sickle Cell Foundation of the Big Bend
Tampa Bay Black Nurses Association
The AIDS Institute
Urban League of Palm Beach County, Inc.
3. We would like to thank Senator Gaetz
for supporting patient protections
with Senate Bill 1316 Section 8.
4. We are asking for you to
support patient protections with
Senate Bill 1316 Section 8.
