Here are five things to know:
1. The bill — HB 145 — passed through a Florida House panel with the support of the House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee.
2. Florida legislators have attempted to pass similar legislation in the past, but couldn’t achieve support from the Florida Senate. The bill became controversial after some state legislators expressed concern about physician owners’ financial ties to ASCs that allow patients to stay overnight.
3. The bill’s supporters paint it as “patient centric” and claim it would reduce costs. Services provided in ASCs cost less than services provided in hospitals.
4. Few states currently have legislation supporting recovery care centers, or convalescent centers, that allow patients to stay up to 72 hours after an outpatient procedure. The recovery care facilities accommodate patients who need additional observation after larger procedures such as total joint or spine surgery performed in the outpatient setting.
5. Democratic representatives are also concerned that allowing for longer stays after outpatient surgery could erode the state’s hospital infrastructure.
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