Nurse checking blood pressure of female Black patient in clinic. Credit: Getty Images
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Florida could put $10 million toward a grant program for community-based projects increasing access to specialized sickle cell disease treatments if Gov. Ron DeSantis approves a bill he received Tuesday evening.
During this year’s legislative session, lawmakers unanimously approved HB 7085, which would put the Florida Department of Health’s Office of Minority Health and Health Equity in charge of distributing the grants aimed at improving the quality of life for Floridians with sickle cell disease and increasing awareness among health care practitioners of best practices for treating the disease.
Sickle cell disease comprises red blood cell disorders that affects Black people at a higher rate and causes the shape of the cells to resemble a sickle, leading to pain and serious health complications. More than 7,000 Floridians with sickle cell disease rely on Medicaid, the government-subsidized health insurance for low-income people. Of those, 63% are Black, according to a 2023 report from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration.
The $10 million appropriation is in the 2024-2025 fiscal year budget that DeSantis would also have to approve.
If the governor okays the bill and related appropriation, the health department would open applications to groups seeking the grant money by July 15. Entities that receive grants can’t spend more than 5% on administrative expenses and their progress will be detailed in an annual report.
The bill makes adults eligible for a registry sickle cell disease registry originally launched in 2023 to track the health outcomes of newborns with the disease. A staff analysis of the bill states that the registry is needed because sickle cell disease patient data are scarce, which limits research.
The post FL Legislature hands sickle cell research, treatment grant bill to DeSantis appeared first on Florida Phoenix.