FSASC Legislative Update 4-18-19

Click on the video icon below to watch a summary of week seven's legislative activities.  

FSASC Legislative Update 4-12-19

There are only three weeks remaining of the legislative session. The last two weeks are devoted primarily to House and Senate floor activity, the budget, and bill amendments.  Although most of the committee action has ended, both chambers will have some committees meeting to finish up on bills next week.   Budget negotiations will start early next week as well.

Although the House continues to move a Workers Compensation bill, many believe any major changes could be dead, due to the limited time remaining in the session.  We remain vigilant because this has happened before, only to see new language pop up after behind-the-scenes negotiations at the end of the session.  What we know is that Representative Byrd continues to push for a substantial cut to ASC and Hospital rates bringing you down to 160% of Medicare without coverage for implants or other costs.  While the Senator Perry bill, SB 1636, only deals with capping of attorney fees in work comp cases, he has expressed interest in coming to a compromise with his House counterpart to get a bill passed. The FSASC lobby team is going through every amendment, listening, and watching for any new deal or activity.

We were disappointed that SB 434 by Senator Harrell did not come up in the Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee this week, but are looking for other options for passage during the remaining days of the session.  This bill would allow ASCs to keep a patient for up to 24 hours.  

PCS/CS/SB 732 by Senator Flores (R-Miami) puts constraints on office-based surgery after a series of exposes in the Miami Herald highlighted several tragic deaths.  The bill authorizes the Department of Health (DOH) to register and regulate office surgery centers. The bill requires the DOH to deny or revoke the registration of or impose certain penalties against any facility where certain office surgeries are performed under certain circumstances.  The bill authorizes the Board of Medicine (BOM) and the Board of Osteopathic Medicine (BOOM) to adopt rules to administer the registration, inspection, and safety of office surgery centers and the standards of practice for physicians who perform office surgery.

The activities in the final three weeks will be fast and furious.  The House will continue to push its aggressive health care agenda.  Click here to watch a video from House leaders outlining their initiatives.