Florida Senate ruled in favor of House Bill 145, which permits overnight stays at ASCs, according to Flagerlive.com.
Here are five notes:
1. Prior versions of the bill passed in the state House, but never gained traction in the Florida Senate. However, the Senate opted to support the bill which changes the amount of time patients can recover in ASCs.
2. While the Senate passed this portion of the bill, legislators did not echo the same support for recovery care centers, which allows patients to spend up to 72 hours in post-surgical recovery facilities outside of hospitals.
3. In a four-to-one vote, The Palm Coast (Fla.) City Council supported sending a letter in opposition of the bill, saying it may lessen the standards of care.
4. David Ashburn, JD, general counsel for the Florida Hospital Association, told Flagerlive.com that the association has issues with the provision and its impact on care.
5. Paul Burning, MD, the chief operating officer for the Tallahassee (Fla.) Orthopedic Clinic, 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."