Health Advocates Push for New Policies Ahead of Florida Legislative Session

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — As Florida lawmakers prepare to return to the Capitol, health advocates are urging the state to adopt policies that make healthcare more affordable and accessible.

Melanie Williams of the Florida Health Justice Project called the upcoming 2026 legislative session a potential “turning point” for the state, emphasizing the importance of protecting families, supporting healthy births and childhoods, and creating a more equitable healthcare system.

Advocates are pushing for a range of measures, including:

Protections against medical debt
A statewide doula workforce program
Improved dental coverage for individuals with disabilities
Expanded Medicaid access
Continued protection of reproductive rights

In the Florida House, leadership is unveiling a sweeping health care agenda aimed at creating a new “Frontier” in healthcare. House Speaker Danny Perez’s plan, split into two bills, seeks to implement provisions from former President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” at the state level.

Perez said the proposal would expand access to care, reduce administrative barriers, lower pharmacy costs, and strengthen Florida’s healthcare workforce, signaling a major push to reshape the state’s healthcare landscape.

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