9 Actions Florida Should Take to Help Taxpayers Impacted by Hurricane Ian

1.     Postpone tax notices and waive penalties or interest for late tax filings in affected areas

2.     Extend the date for residents to take advantage of the tax discounts they would normally receive for paying property taxes and special assessments in November and postpone or defer the deadline for property tax installment payments

3.     Protect individual and business taxpayers from the risks for notices that they will likely not receive because their home or business addresses is not accessible anymore

4.     Issue no new audits in severely impacted areas, extend the statute of limitations and postpone existing audits that haven’t reached the assessment stage because these can’t be responded to while entire communities are still recovering

5.     Create procedures for fairly estimating taxes which can’t be calculated because records have been destroyed by the storm, moving away from the current method which significantly overestimates activity if no records are available

6.     Initiate procedures to offer payment plan assistance for late taxes, rather than resorting to the standard collection methods, like liens, levies, or bank freezes

7.     Retroactively apply the recently passed law that provides property tax refunds for residential property rendered uninhabitable as a result of a catastrophic event

8.     Provide tangible personal property relief and allow n on-residential properties rendered uninhabitable to receive property tax refunds

9.     Get Congress to pass a Disaster Tax Relief Act that includes provisions from past packages, including elements such as an Employee Retention Credit, an enhanced casualty loss deduction, and other relief provisions

Download the Recommendations

Other Resources

Florida Disaster.biz
FEMA
Florida Department of Financial Services
Florida SBDC
Disaster Contractors Network
Florida Disaster Fund

Florida TaxWatch Statement on Hurricane Ian Recovery

Community Involvement

/ Categories: Releases

Florida TaxWatch Presents APRNs as Solid Solution to Palliative Care and Hospice Physician Shortage

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released Physician Shortages: Better Utilization of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses in Palliative Medicine Could Provide Relief, a briefing explaining how fully utilizing the advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) workforce has the potential to significantly mitigate the existing physician shortage and similar issues that may arise in the future, particularly in palliative care and hospice facilities.

Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro said, “The nation’s population is growing quickly, and in Florida, where nearly 1,000 people are moving here every day, over 20 percent of the population is 65 years of age or older. The current physician shortage is impacting patients of all ages, but given Florida’s significant concentration of seniors, it’s particularly problematic for those in palliative care or hospice facilities. 

“Palliative care and hospice physicians are facing demanding caseloads, leading to burnout and ultimately preventing them from providing their patients – people with chronic illnesses or at the end stages of life – the quality care they both need and deserve. In fact, on a national level, more than 30 percent of palliative care physicians reported experiencing burnout in their positions.

“Giving proper autonomy to advanced practice registered nurses, or APRNs, and allowing them to attend to patients with their advanced professional expertise would alleviate some of this stress felt by physicians in palliative care and hospice settings. However, in Florida, that can only be accomplished by amending state law, specifically the Autonomous Practice Act, to extend to this important medical specialty.

“Florida TaxWatch encourages the Florida Legislature to consider this solution, especially as the APRN workforce continues to experience substantial and consistent growth and professional development. It is safe, as all APRNs must complete extensive education and relevant training. It is also cost-effective, given APRNs’ wages relative to physicians, and most importantly, it is in the best interests of palliative care and hospice patients.”

In Florida, physician demand is projected to exceed supply by at least 20 percent in nearly every Medicaid region by 2035. Similarly, there is expected to be a statewide physician shortage of 18,000 by 2035. Palliative care and hospice physicians, in particular, are and will remain in high demand given the state is home to nearly five million Baby Boomers – the generation between 59 and 77 years of age – who will require more specialized medical attention in the years to come. Additionally, the number of Americans living with chronic illnesses has increased over time, now estimated to be six in every 10 adults.

However, according to this FTW briefing, while the number of patients eligible to receive palliative care is expected to grow by 20 percent over the next 20 years, there is only a one percent projected growth in palliative care physicians.

FTW strongly recommends extending the Autonomous Practice Act (Section 464.0123 (3), Florida Statutes) to APRNs, enabling them to perform largely administrative, yet essential tasks in palliative care and hospice facilities, in addition to primary care facilities. This is best for patients because:

  • The APRN workforce is expanding;
  • Utilizing nurse practitioners is associated with lower costs and high quality of care; and
  • The education and training of APRNs fully prepares them to perform these tasks.

For more information and to access the full report, please click here.

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