Quick Hits: Florida Physician News for November 3, 2026

Five developments from this week that affect how Florida physicians bill, order, and plan for 2027, each with a date, a source, and a next step for your practice.

1. Amendment 3 is on the ballot today, and it does not list health care as a core spending need

Update, Nov. 7: Amendment 3 passed on Nov. 3 with about 62 percent of the vote, according to Suncoast Searchlight’s count with 95 percent of ballots in, above the 60 percent it needed. The state had not posted a certified count when this note was added. The first change, a $150,000 non-school homestead exemption, takes effect January 1, 2027. Our Amendment 3 hospital district update explains what the result means for indigent care in each county.

Florida voters decide Amendment 3 on November 3. It would raise the non-school homestead exemption from $50,000 to $150,000 in 2027 and to $250,000 in 2028, and it needs 60 percent to pass. The Florida Policy Institute estimates that public hospital districts and health systems in nine counties would lose about $323 million over three years, and eleven of Florida’s 28 hospital districts depend on property taxes. Health care is not on the amendment’s list of core needs that local governments may fund with remaining property tax revenue.

Find out whether indigent care in your county runs on property taxes, a sales tax, or neither, and ask your hospital district what it plans if the amendment passes. Our full guide has the county breakdown.

2. Quest Diagnostics has not said whose records were accessed in its portal breach

Quest detected unauthorized access on October 21 to Quanum Lab Services Manager, the portal many practices use to order tests and view results, and disclosed it in a Form 8-K on October 22. The company says protected health information was involved but has not said how many patients or providers are affected. At least seven proposed class actions were filed in federal court in New Jersey on October 22 and 23, and those allegations are unproven. Practices using a direct lab interface or their EMR were not affected.

Confirm how your practice receives Quest results, review who has portal logins, and ask Quest in writing what it will provide about affected patients. Details are in our Quest breach guide.

3. DOJ and HHS opened a False Claims Act self-disclosure pilot that runs until April 22, 2027

On October 22 the two agencies opened a six-month window to report potential False Claims Act violations and settle for 1.25 to 1.6 times the amount owed, in place of treble damages and per-claim penalties. Submissions close at 11:59 p.m. on April 22, 2027. The pilot does not release claims under Florida’s own False Claims Act, so Medicaid exposure to the state has to be handled separately, and potential criminal conduct is excluded.

If your practice has an unresolved billing question from an internal review, take it to your health care attorney now. This is not legal advice. Read the Florida Doctor Magazine analysis.

4. The 2027 Medicare fee schedule is still at the proposed numbers

Update, Nov. 7: CMS finalized the rule on Nov. 4. The final conversion factors are $32.95 for qualifying APM participants, down 1.83 percent, and $32.63 for everyone else, down 2.31 percent, effective January 1, 2027. Both cuts are deeper than the proposed figures below. Our guide to the CMS 2027 fee schedule final rule covers what changed for Florida practices.

CMS proposed a conversion factor of $33.1693 for qualifying APM participants, down 1.19 percent from 2026, and $32.8409 for everyone else, down 1.68 percent, citing the expiration of the temporary 2.5 percent increase in 2026. Comments closed on September 14, and the final rule had not been released as of the morning of November 2. Most changes take effect January 1.

Build your 2027 budget on the proposed figures and rerun it the week the final rule posts. Conversion factors are in the APMA release.

5. Medicare open enrollment closes December 7, and Lee Health leaves UnitedHealthcare plans on January 1

Lee Health in Southwest Florida will be out of network for UnitedHealthcare plans, including Medicare Advantage, starting January 1, 2027, and says it is owed more than $100 million in disputed claims. NCH in Naples stops accepting HealthSpring and Wellcare Medicare Advantage plans on the same date. Florida has 560 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, down from 611.

Confirm your 2027 network status in writing, including the hospitals and surgery centers where you practice, and refer plan-selection questions to SHINE at 1-800-963-5337. See our Medicare Advantage guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Florida’s Amendment 3 pass?

Yes. Voters approved Amendment 3 on November 3, 2026 with about 62 percent of the vote, above the 60 percent it needed, and the higher homestead exemption takes effect January 1, 2027.

Was the Quest Diagnostics breach limited to a portal?

Quest said the unauthorized access involved Quanum Lab Services Manager. Practices using a direct lab interface or their EMR were not affected, according to the company.

How long does the DOJ False Claims Act self-disclosure pilot run?

It runs until 11:59 p.m. on April 22, 2027, and offers settlements at 1.25 to 1.6 times the amount owed.

Will Medicare physician pay fall in 2027?

Yes. CMS finalized the rule on November 4, 2026. Starting January 1, 2027, the conversion factor falls 2.31 percent, to $32.63, for most physicians and 1.83 percent, to $32.95, for qualifying APM participants.

When does Medicare open enrollment end?

Medicare open enrollment closes December 7, 2026, and new plan choices take effect January 1, 2027.

This article was drafted with the assistance of AI writing tools, then reviewed, edited, and approved by Dr. Sean C. Orr, M.D., who holds full editorial responsibility for its content. Illustration created with AI image tools.

References

1. Suncoast Searchlight, “‘Disastrous’: Amendment 3 passes, leaving Suncoast leaders facing tough choices” (November 3, 2026). suncoastsearchlight.org
2. FOX 13 News, “Florida Amendment 3: Voters pass historic property tax caps” (November 3, 2026). fox13news.com
3. Florida Policy Institute, “Florida Public Hospital Districts and Health Systems Would Lose an Estimated $323 Million Over Next Three Years Under Amendment 3, Report Finds” (August 27, 2026). floridapolicy.org
4. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, Form 8-K (October 22, 2026). SEC filing (PDF)
5. Quest Diagnostics, “An update on an incident involving one of our systems” (October 2026). questdiagnostics.com
6. TechCrunch, “Lab testing giant Quest Diagnostics confirms patients’ personal and health data was compromised during breach” (October 23, 2026). techcrunch.com
7. Top Class Actions, “Quest Diagnostics faces multiple class action lawsuits over lab data breach” (October 28, 2026). topclassactions.com
8. U.S. Department of Justice, “Justice Department’s Civil Division and the Department of Health & Human Services Announce Anti-Fraud Healthcare Self-Disclosure Pilot Program” (October 22, 2026). justice.gov
9. U.S. Department of Justice and HHS, Healthcare Self-Disclosure Pilot Program protocol (October 2026). justice.gov (PDF)
10. Florida Statutes, section 68.082, False claims against the state. flsenate.gov
11. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, “Calendar Year (CY) 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule” fact sheet (November 4, 2026). cms.gov
12. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMS-1848-P proposed rule (July 2026). cms.gov
13. American Podiatric Medical Association, “CMS Releases CY 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule” (July 14, 2026). apma.org
14. Becker’s Payer Issues, “‘Fundamentally different priorities’: Lee Health to go out of network for UnitedHealthcare members” (August 28, 2026). beckerspayer.com
15. NCH, Medicare Advantage update (updated October 27, 2026). nchmd.org
16. Medical Daily, “Average Medicare Advantage Premium Falls to $12 for 2027 as Florida, Ohio, and Illinois Lose Dozens of Plans” (September 30, 2026). medicaldaily.com
17. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicare Open Enrollment. cms.gov
18. Florida Department of Elder Affairs, SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders). floridashine.org
19. Florida Doctor Magazine, “Florida Amendment 3 Passed: Hospital District Update 2026” (updated November 5, 2026). floridadoctormagazine.com
20. Florida Doctor Magazine, “Quest Breach 2026: What Florida Physicians Should Do Now” (November 1, 2026). floridadoctormagazine.com
21. Florida Doctor Magazine, “DOJ False Claims Self-Disclosure Pilot 2026: A Florida Guide” (November 2, 2026). floridadoctormagazine.com
22. Florida Doctor Magazine, “CMS 2027 Fee Schedule Final Rule: Florida Physician Guide” (November 6, 2026). floridadoctormagazine.com
23. Florida Doctor Magazine, “Florida Loses 51 Medicare Advantage Plans for 2027” (October 5, 2026). floridadoctormagazine.com