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State reports TEACH program activity as Medicaid workforce waiver and GME approvals face federal uncertainty
Summary
Deputy Secretary Brian Meyer told the Senate Health Policy Committee that Florida's TEACH workforce program distributed early reimbursements, reporting roughly 1,800 students and 380,000 clinical hours reimbursed; he also said a submitted 1115 waiver to expand workforce funding faces a CMS policy change that has paused approvals and complicated graduate medical education plans.
Brian Meyer, deputy secretary for Medicaid at the Agency for Healthcare Administration, briefed the Senate Health Policy Committee on the TEACH program and related workforce initiatives and federal interactions.
Meyer said Senate Bill 7016 established the TEACH program with $25 million in recurring General Revenue to offset clinical training costs across 10 student categories and four eligible facility types (federally qualified health centers, community mental health centers, rural health clinics and certified community behavioral health clinics). He reported roughly 1,800 unique students were reimbursed in the program’s initial period, logging about 380,000 clinical hours, and that the program reimbursed a range of hourly rates depending on student type.
"The majority of the funding went to parent organization FQHCs," Meyer said, noting Tampa Family Health Centers and other large providers were among the largest recipients in the initial reporting. He said rulemaking would be finalized in October and the agency will submit its TEACH report to the legislature and governor on Dec. 1.
Meyer also described the agency’s May 2025 submission of an 1115 waiver intended to maximize federal funding and expand workforce programs. He told the committee that on July 17 the agency received communication from CMS indicating the agency was no longer approving new 1115 workforce demonstrations in their current form. That position, Meyer said, has affected a range of workforce and GME proposals the state had submitted and prompted further negotiation and litigation with the federal government.
"At this time it does not seem likely that 1115 will be moving forward," Meyer said of the specific waiver, adding that the agency continues to engage with CMS and the U.S. Department of Justice to seek alternatives or revised terms.
Committee members asked about the impacts on GME slots and whether previously approved programs would remain funded. Meyer said CMS had agreed to continue approving previously authorized programs through a transition period (noting a sunset of 06/30/2027 in prior approvals), while the state works through strategy to sustain and possibly redesign newer proposals.
Meyer said the agency is finalizing a contract with the University of Florida to develop preceptor training modules and that the agency remains focused on evaluation and outreach to grow provider participation in the TEACH program for fiscal year 25–26.
The agency pledged to provide the committee with further details on applications, expenditures and program evaluations when the December report is submitted.
