Senate health committee recommends confirmation of AHCA secretary after questioning on Medicaid, IT project and ad contracts
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Summary
After extensive questioning about Medicaid unwinding, IT modernization vendor accountability and past advertising contracts, the Senate Committee on Health Policy voted to recommend confirmation of Siobhan Harris as secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration.
Siobhan Harris was recommended favorably by the Florida Senate Committee on Health Policy on a voice and roll-call vote after she answered senators’ questions about the agency’s Medicaid oversight, a decade-long IT modernization effort, and prior advertising contracts.
Harris, who was sworn in before addressing the committee, said her priorities at the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) include financial accountability, increased transparency, and improving access and quality for vulnerable populations. “We’ve prioritized data transparency,” she told the committee, pointing to newly released Medicaid plan and nursing-home dashboards and “enhanced provider network validation” contracts aimed at eliminating so-called ghost networks.
The hearing turned to specifics. Senator Davis pressed for participation numbers for the HOPE Florida program; Harris said AHCA works through managed-care plans and did not have headcounts on hand. On a separate line of questioning, Senator Harrell asked about the state’s core IT modernization project and mounting costs. Harris said the agency has increased vendor accountability, issued liquidated damages (more than $300,000) for nonperformance, hired a new chief information officer and is proposing procurement and contractual changes to reduce future risk.
Senator Berman raised procurement concerns tied to a prior DCF anti‑marijuana advertising contract with Strategic Digital Services. Harris said opioid-settlement funds included prevention campaigns and the department had previously worked with that vendor, but she did not provide detailed procurement records during the hearing.
Several healthcare and advocacy groups filed appearance cards in support of Harris; some senators voiced reservations about past program decisions but nonetheless voted to recommend her confirmation. The motion to recommend confirmation carried, and the committee reported the nomination favorably.