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Florida Occupational Therapy Association (FOTA)

President’s Advocacy Update to Members

November 2026

Dear FOTA Members,

Here is a brief update on FOTA’s advocacy priorities heading into the 2027 legislative session, and an invitation to join us at the Capitol.

Hill Day: Tuesday, January 12, 2027

The 2027 session convenes March 2, so January is when bills take shape. Our message: fair and timely Medicaid payment, OT’s role in autism care, the OT Compact, and dry needling implementation. No lobbying experience is needed; FOTA will provide talking points and a briefing. Students are welcome.

FOTA Priorities for the 2027 Session

Priority 1: Medicaid Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Task Force Recommendations

• Monitor and respond to recommendations from Florida’s ABA Task Force, including potential changes to Medicaid service delivery, authorization, reimbursement, provider oversight, licensure, and scope of practice.

• Advocate for coordinated, individualized care that recognizes the distinct and complementary roles of occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech-language therapy, and ABA in meeting patient needs.

Priority 2: Medicaid Funding and Occupational Therapy Reimbursement

• Monitor Medicaid budget and policy decisions affecting OT reimbursement, service utilization, provider participation, and patient access.

• Advocate for sustainable reimbursement policies that support access to medically necessary OT services, particularly for children and patients with complex or ongoing therapy needs.

Priority 3: Medicaid Program Integrity and Provider Oversight

• Monitor proposed Medicaid fraud, waste, and abuse reforms affecting provider enrollment, credentialing, documentation, billing, and utilization oversight.

• Advocate for targeted accountability measures that protect taxpayer dollars while minimizing unnecessary administrative burdens and preserving access to medically necessary services.

Potential Priority: Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact

• Pending committee chairmanship assignments following the November elections.

Medicaid: CMS Plan Moved from Sunshine Health to Molina

On October 1, 2026, Molina took over the Children’s Medical Services (CMS) Health Plan. Many providers report unprocessed or unpaid claims since then, and AHCA is investigating. Providers should:

• Contract and credential directly with Molina (Sunshine contracts do not transfer).

• Bill Sunshine for services before October 1 and Molina for services on or after.

• Document claim numbers, denials, and call references; escalate to AHCA and let FOTA know (no patient identifiers).

Medicaid Funding and Autism Care

Monitoring Medicaid funding is our top priority this session. AHCA’s ABA Task Force sends its recommendations to the Governor and legislative leaders by December 31, 2026. FOTA is working to ensure OT is recognized as part of professional care for children with autism.

OT Licensure Compact

Correction: Florida has not enacted the OT Compact and is not a member state, so Florida practitioners cannot obtain compact privileges. Earlier communications stated otherwise.

Nationally, 37 states are members and 11 are issuing privileges: Arkansas, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Applications go through CompactConnect. FOTA may pursue Compact legislation depending on how compacts fare this session, and Hill Day is our chance to introduce it to new committee members.

Dry Needling Is Now Law

CS/HB 867 (Ch. 2026-110) took effect July 1, 2026, and the Board is accepting applications at no fee. Requirements: two years of licensed practice, 50 hours of Board-approved face-to-face CE, and 25 supervised or qualifying patient sessions (s. 468.227, F.S.; Rule 64B11-4.008, F.A.C.). OTs may not dry needle until Board approval.

Other Changes

• SB 816: UF Diabetes Institute named a statewide resource for diabetes research, education, and treatment.

• HB 1443: USF to establish a statewide Parkinson’s disease registry.

• FSU Health: TMH and FSU finalized their academic health system partnership.

• CMS exclusion authority: as of October 14, 2026, CMS (not just the HHS OIG) can exclude providers from Medicare and Medicaid. A proposal to expand CMS revocation authority across all sectors is pending.

Thank you for your dedication to the profession. I hope to see you in Tallahassee on January 12.

With appreciation and commitment,

Dr. Antonette Fernandez, DrOT, OTR/L

President, Florida Occupational Therapy Association (FOTA)

Resources: AHCA CMS Plan Transition  ·  AOTA OT Compact  ·  Board of OT Dry Needling

If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected]

• Florida Governor: http://www.flgov.com/
• Florida House Website: www.myfloridahouse.gov/
• The Florida Senate: http://www.flsenate.gov/
•  Find Your State Representatives:http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/myrepresentative.aspx
• United States House of Representatives: http://www.house.gov/
• https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
• United States Senate: http://www.senate.gov/index.htm
•  Florida Healthcare Association: http://fhca.org/
• Florida Department of Health: http://www.doh.state.fl.us/
• Medicare: http://www.cms.gov/
• Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration (ACHA): http://ahca.myflorida.com/
• Medicaid: http://ahca.myflorida.com/Medicaid/childhealthservices/therapyserv/index.shtml
•  AOTA Political Action Committee: http://www.aota.org/aotpac
•  AOTAPAC Legislative Action Center: http://capwiz.com/aota/home/
•  Webmaster Editor’s Recommended  Sites for the Political Junkie: 
• http://www.politifact.com/florida/  http://www.politifact.com/
•  http://healthystate.org/  http://www.floridachain.org/index.php
• Center for Science in the Public Interest: http://www.cspinet.org/