On Feb. 2, the Florida House passed various free-market healthcare reform proposals, according to The Miami Herald.
Here are eight key points:
1. The proposals aim to cut regulations to incite competition, lower costs and increase healthcare access.
2. One proposal enables the creation of new recovery centers able to care for patients for up to 72 hours post-surgery. The bill extended the time patients can recover at an ASC for up to 24 hours.
3. The House passed a telemedicine proposal, which permits out-of-state physicians to legally treat Florida patients via technology.
4. A proposal allows patients to contract directly with physicians to pay for primary care without payer involvement.
5. The House also passed a bill allowing advanced nurse practitioners and physicians' assistants the right to prescribe patients narcotics and other drugs.
6. Although the House approved a bill implementing price transparency requirements, they failed to include Gov. Rick Scott's rigid requirements aimed at inhibiting "price-gouging" at hospitals.
7. Despite opposition from many physician groups, the House passed legislation to protect patients from "balance billing," which allows physicians to directly bill patients for serves insurance doesn't cover.
8. The House did not reach a consensus on the elimination of Florida's certificate-of-need licensing program for hospitals, which the Senate opposed.
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