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

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Groceries & Telehealth - a new concept for retail clinics

As you wander through the Publix Supermarket trying to decide what to make for dinner you may soon notice a new service.  Publix and BayCare Health system have exclusively collaborated to bring telehealth services to Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, and Polk county residents.  Certain Publix supermarkets across this area will offer a private room to connect patients needing non-urgent care with BayCare doctors via direct, interactive video. These telehealth rooms will be equipped with stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs, and high-definition cameras.  You can even be tested for the flu or strep throat.  In addition, BayCare will place FDA-approved screening stations in all Publix locations in the area and five BayCare hospitals will have Publix pharmacies onsite.

Since 2000, retail clinics across the nation have logged over 35 million patient visits, accounting for about one percent of all doctor visits but up to seven percent of visits for common, simple acute conditions (strep, allergies, etc.).  Publix joins companies such as CVS, Walgreens, Walmart and Kroger in the retail clinic market; however, the Publix-BayCare retail clinics will differ from other entities in their extensive use of telehealth to deliver and manage healthcare. 

Many retail clinics do not coordinate with other healthcare providers, rather they are stand-alone venues patients used for simple convenience, when their provider is not available (i.e. after hours or on short notice), or if they lacked primary care.  The Publix-BayCare clinics will be part of Tampa Bay’s biggest healthcare system, allowing for integrated care delivery.  Visit records can be easily shared and the FDA-approved  screening machines provide a convenient mechanism for patients to collect and forward health information to their providers, allowing for better management of chronic conditions such as hypertension and congestive heart failure. 

What remains unclear is how Publix-BayCare clinics will be reimbursed for telehealth services.  Florida has yet to adopt meaningful telehealth legislation, instead opting to institute the Telehealth Advisory Council,  which is “charged to make recommendations intended to increase the use and accessibility of services provided via telehealth.”  While Publix and BayCare have elected to move forward, many providers, including BayCare, have indicated that one of the biggest barriers to the expansion of telehealth is uncertainty regarding reimbursement policy. 

Florida TaxWatch research indicates that widespread adoption of telehealth will save millions in healthcare cost while expanding access to care.  TaxWatch staff has attended all Council meetings and, although nothing is certain, indications are that the Council will favor reimbursement policies that support the expansion of telehealth in our state.  Their final report is due October 31,2017 – just in time for the 2018 session. 

TaxWatch urges all stakeholders and policy makers to support policies that allow telehealth to flourish in our state. The Publix-BayCare partnership provides an excellent example of an innovative telehealth program and with supportive policy, Floridians will reap the benefits of telehealth expansion in our state.

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