June 25, 2026 Updates

Key Health Care Takeaways from Florida's 2026 Legislative Session

Key health care bills were passed and signed into law during Florida's 2026 Regular Legislative Session earlier this year, with many scheduled to take effect July 1. The legislation touches a wide range of health care providers and organizations and may require operational, compliance or licensing changes for affected stakeholders. In this alert, we summarize several notable measures.

Key Takeaways:

Florida enacted several significant health care bills during its 2026 Legislative Session, with most taking effect July 1, 2026. The measures affect a broad range of providers, facilities and health care organizations.
The new laws create licensing, reporting and operational requirements while expanding or modifying certain scopes of practice and reimbursement rules.
Health care stakeholders should review the legislation now to determine how the new requirements apply to their operations. Particular attention should be paid to upcoming licensing, reporting and policy update obligations.

1. Memory Care Services Specialty License for ALFs

Bill SB 1404 creates a new memory care services license for assisted living facilities (ALFs) that serve memory care residents or hold themselves out as providing memory care services. The bill requires the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) to adopt rules by June 1, 2027, establishing minimum standards for licensure, including requirements related to resident admissions, staffing, training, safety, facility design, resident contracts and advertising. ALFs will need to obtain this license to provide memory care services, serve memory care residents or advertise or hold themselves out as offering those services or serving such residents. Existing facilities generally must obtain licensure within six months after the rules become effective.

The bill was approved by Governor DeSantis on May 22 and will become effective on July 1.

2. Naturopathic Medicine License

Bill SB 688 reestablishes the licensure and regulation of naturopathic doctors in Florida, effectively reversing a framework that prevented the issuance of new naturopathic licenses since 1959. The legislation creates the Board of Naturopathic Medicine within the Department of Health, establishes licensure by examination and endorsement, and authorizes licensed naturopathic doctors to diagnose, prevent and treat conditions using specified natural and nonpharmacologic therapies, including clinical nutrition, botanical or fungal extracts, laboratory testing, lifestyle medicine and physical medicine. The bill expressly excludes from the scope of practice the prescribing of most prescription drugs, surgery, anesthesia, acupuncture, chiropractic and osteopathic manipulations, as well as labor and delivery services. The legislation also authorizes licensed naturopathic doctors to provide services through telehealth.

The bill passed the Florida Legislature and is awaiting Governor DeSantis’s action. If signed, the bill will take effect Dec. 31.

3. Podiatric Medicine

Bill SB 1092 exempts podiatric physicians who do not prescribe controlled substances from the continuing education requirement on prescribing those medications. The bill also permits qualified podiatric physicians to use certain cellular or tissue-based products that have not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), provided patients receive written notice and advertisements disclose that the treatment is not FDA approved. The bill also grants the Board of Podiatric Medicine authority to adopt rules necessary for its implementation.

The bill was approved by Governor DeSantis on June 11 and will become effective on July 1.

4. Patient Funds Held in Trust by Chiropractic Physicians

Bill SB 192 removes the existing $1,500 limit on advance payments that a chiropractic physician may collect for examinations or treatment, allowing physicians to accept advance payments in any amount. As a result, chiropractic physicians will no longer be subject to disciplinary action by the Board of Chiropractic Medicine for collecting advance payments that exceed $1,500 for examination and treatment costs.

The bill was approved by Governor DeSantis on May 21 and will become effective on July 1.

5. Drug Prices and Coverage

Bill HB 697 imposes new restrictions on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). The bill prohibits PBMs from requiring pharmacies to dispense prescription drugs at a loss and from reimbursing affiliated pharmacies at higher rates than nonaffiliated pharmacies for the same drugs or services. The bill also simplifies the appeals process by allowing pharmacies and pharmacists to submit a single appeal covering multiple claims involving the same drug and prescription supply dispensed during the same month.

The bill was approved by Governor DeSantis on March 24 and will become effective on July 1.

6. Parkinson’s Disease Registry

Bill HB 1443 requires the Florida Institute for Parkinson’s Disease at the University of South Florida to establish a statewide registry to collect and monitor data on Parkinson’s disease and atypical parkinsonism. Physicians and advanced practice registered nurses who diagnose or treat patients with these conditions must report specified data to the registry. Beginning in 2028, the Institute must publish annual reports on the prevalence of these conditions in Florida.

The bill was approved by Governor DeSantis on March 27 and will become effective on July 1.

7. Florida Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Association

Bill SB 1168 revises the Florida Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Association (NICA) by clarifying that the Division of Administrative Hearings has exclusive jurisdiction to determine compensability and notice issues, expanding certain participant benefits and codifying existing reimbursement and participant service practices. The bill also revises the program’s funding, assessment, reporting and governance requirements and establishes new standards for evaluating the plan’s financial condition.