The Florida House is set to vote on House Bill 145 this week, which would permit overnight stays at ASCs, according to The Florida Times-Union.
Here are four things to know:
1. The state Senate ruled in favor of the bill last week.
2. In its proposed state, the bill would have also created recovery care centers that could treat patients for up to 72 hours following surgery in addition to allowing 24-hour stays at ASCs.
3. However, the Senate did not pass the portion of the bill regarding the recovery centers.
4. Paul Burning, MD, COO for the Tallahassee (Fla.) Orthopedic Clinic, spoke on behalf of the bill.
He told Flagerlive.com, "This is about patient care. It's about the cost of care. In the staff report, you'll see that ASCs can provide the same level of care as hospitals for many surgical procedures at a significantly lower cost of care. This isn't trying to keep patients for 24 hours. It's about being able to extend our operating day later in the day."