House Health & Human Services Committee Passes Bill to Strengthen Delivery of Safe, Cost-Effective, Same-Day Surgical Procedures

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., June 10, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following release is being issued by Floridians for Better Community Care:

The House Health & Human Services Committee today adopted legislation (HB 23A) to allow Florida's Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) to provide extended recuperation times following same-day surgical procedures.  The measure, which would prevent avoidable admissions to higher cost care settings, has received bipartisan support in the state legislature, and has been endorsed by healthcare advocates statewide.

The House Health & Human Services Committee previously passes an identical measure (HB 999) during regular session on April 9. The bill was originally introduced in the House by Representative Heather Fitzenhagen (District 78).

"I commend Chairman Brodeur and the Committee members for adopting this practical healthcare legislation, which will improve patient access to the recuperative care they require following minimally-invasive, same-day surgical procedures in our state's 400 Ambulatory Surgery Centers," said Kathy Myers, Administrator of Orlando Center for Outpatient Surgery.   "I urge their colleagues in the Senate to follow this Committee's lead and pass this important legislation to expand patient choice and strengthen Florida's healthcare delivery system."

Advocates hail the bill as a pro-patient reform, emphasizing that the bill would effectively:

• Protect Patient Choice: HB 23A would ensure greater patient choice for individuals requiring outpatient surgical procedures. More than nine-in-10 ASC patients report high satisfaction.
• Reform Antiquated State Policy: This legislation would allow patients to recuperate following surgery in an ASC for up to 23 hours, instead of face transfer and hospitalization at the close of business, as they do under current law.
• Reduce Healthcare Spending: On average, the Medicare program reimburses ASCs at a rate that is nearly half (55 percent) of the reimbursement rate to hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) providing the exact same surgical care.  Nationwide, these lower ASC rates saved the federal Medicare program $7.5 billion over four years (2008-2011).
• Meet National Standards: Nationwide, 36 states and the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have already implemented laws allowing for 23-hour stays in the ASC setting.  Most recently, South Carolina and Maryland passed measures to expand recovery care in their state's ASCs centers for up to 23 hours.  

"This bill is an opportunity to knock down barriers to care that prevent Florida patients from receiving the comprehensive range of safe, clinically-advanced services they seek in the community-based setting," added Myers.  "I strongly urge our state lawmakers to advance this legislation before they close this extended session in order to ensure expanded choice and lower healthcare costs for patients, their families, their employers and state taxpayers."

There are more than 400 ASCs operating in Florida today, which safely perform an estimated 1.5 million surgical procedures statewide each year. ASCs are fully regulated by federal and state entities and are evaluated by independent parties for state licensure, Medicare certification, and accreditation.

SOURCE Floridians for Better Community Care