The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council on Friday voted to adopt a set of ethical guidelines for the potential rationing of health care during a pandemic.
The only dissenting vote on the council came from the organization Disability Rights Florida.
The guidelines were developed by the Florida Bioethics Network.
The goal of the guidelines, according to the network, is “an ethically optimized, evidence-based guidance on clinical management in the COVID-19 emergency.”
Florida has not adopted guidelines for health care providers to follow during a pandemic. And while the network guidelines aren’t binding, they are the only ones that have garnered support.
The Florida Hospital Association’s board of trustees agreed to support the guidelines in early April.
The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council is an advocacy organization whose board members are appointed by the governor.
It includes representatives from several state agencies, including the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, the Department of Health and the Department of Education.
The council, which meets three times a year, approved the guidelines as part of a two-day meeting held online.
