Opportunity for hearing and appeal.

(1) If an application for public assistance is not acted upon within a reasonable time after the filing of the application, or is denied in whole or in part, or if an assistance payment is modified or canceled, the applicant or recipient may appeal the decision to the Department of Children and Families in the manner and form prescribed by the department.

(a) The hearing authority may be the Secretary of Children and Families, a panel of department officials, or a hearing officer appointed for that purpose. The hearing authority is responsible for a final administrative decision in the name of the department on all issues that have been the subject of a hearing. With regard to the department, the decision of the hearing authority is final and binding. The department is responsible for seeing that the decision is carried out promptly.

(b) The department may adopt rules to administer this subsection. Rules for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant programs must be similar to the federal requirements for Medicaid programs.

(2) Appeals related to Medicaid programs directly administered by the Agency for Health Care Administration, including appeals related to Florida’s Statewide Medicaid Managed Care program and associated federal waivers, filed on or after March 1, 2017, must be directed to the agency in the manner and form prescribed by the agency. The department and the agency shall establish a transition process to transfer administration of these appeals from the department to the agency by March 1, 2017.

(a) The hearing authority for appeals heard by the Agency for Health Care Administration may be the Secretary of Health Care Administration, a panel of agency officials, or a hearing officer appointed for that purpose. The hearing authority is responsible for a final administrative decision in the name of the agency on all issues that have been the subject of a hearing. A decision of the hearing authority is final and binding on the agency. The agency is responsible for ensuring that the decision is promptly carried out.

(b) Notwithstanding ss. 120.569 and 120.57, hearings conducted by the Agency for Health Care Administration pursuant to this subsection are subject to federal regulations and requirements relating to Medicaid appeals, are exempt from the uniform rules of procedure under s. 120.54(5), and are not required to be conducted by an administrative law judge assigned by the Division of Administrative Hearings.

(c) The Agency for Health Care Administration shall seek federal approval necessary to implement this subsection and may adopt rules necessary to administer this subsection. Before such rules are adopted, the agency shall follow the rules applicable to the Medicaid hearings pursuant to subsection (1).

(3) Appeals related to Medicaid programs administered by the Agency for Persons with Disabilities are subject to s. 393.125.