During the 2018 January session, the Florida House will consider House Bill 35, which would require healthcare staff employed at ASCs and hospitals to disclose whether they seek care at those same facilities, according to The News Service of Florida.
Here are four things to know:
1. Sponsored by Rep. Michael Grant, R-Port Charlotte, the bill would allow patients to use the information to make healthcare decisions aimed at lowering costs and improving care.
2. As per the bill's terms, the state Agency for Health Care Administration would create patient safety and culture surveys. These would deviate from national surveys as they would specifically ask staff members questions about where they seek care. This information would then be publicly available.
3. The survey would be anonymous to generate higher levels of staff participation. AHCA estimates said the state would pay nearly $360,000 to create and implement the survey.
4. Many hospital and outpatient surgery center leaders say the surveys are redundant as patients already have access to national benchmarks. Therefore, opponents of the new bill say the survey will boost government regulations without improving clinical performance. Opponents also say it will not move the needle in pushing patients to make more informed decisions.