It’s a big day for health issues

By Carol Gentry
02/22/12 © Health News Florida

Today, a Senate committee tackles health bills that may affect relatively few Floridians but have generated a lot of heat -- and lobbying.

At 3:30, the Senate Health Regulation Committee will debate bills to restrict abortion and physicians' profits on drug-repackaging in workers' comp.

These two hotly contested issues are scheduled to come last, after discussion of bills that merely restate Florida's position on federal-state issues. One asks that Health & Human Services approve the state's Medicaid managed-care request; two others ask Congress to repeal or defund the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Tuesday was a big day for health issues at the other end of the Capitol, with the House Appropriations Committee's passage of a bill allowing state agencies to conduct random drug-screening and its overhaul of the DOH overhaul.

This week, the Senate could vote on its budget, which cuts health spending in different ways than the House did.

 The session is due to wrap up March 9.