Senate Bill sb0594

    Florida Senate - 2005                                   SB 594

    By Senator Fasano





    11-419A-05

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to health insurance; amending

  3         s. 627.419, F.S.; including certified surgical

  4         first assistants, as defined, within certain

  5         benefits or services payment provisions;

  6         limiting application; providing an effective

  7         date.

  8  

  9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

10  

11         Section 1.  Subsection (6) of section 627.419, Florida

12  Statutes, is amended to read:

13         627.419  Construction of policies.--

14         (6)(a)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law,

15  when any health insurance policy, health care services plan,

16  or other contract provides for payment for surgical first

17  assisting benefits or services, the policy, plan, or contract

18  is to be construed as providing for payment to a registered

19  nurse first assistant or employers of a physician assistant or

20  registered nurse first assistant who performs such services

21  that are within the scope of a physician assistant's or a

22  registered nurse first assistant's professional license. The

23  provisions of This paragraph applies subsection apply only if

24  reimbursement for an assisting physician, licensed under

25  chapter 458 or chapter 459, would be covered and a physician

26  assistant or a registered nurse first assistant who performs

27  such services is used as a substitute.

28         (b)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, when

29  any insurance policy, health care services plan, or other

30  contract provides for payment for surgical first assisting

31  benefits or services, the policy, plan, or contract is to be

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2005                                   SB 594
    11-419A-05




 1  construed as providing for payment to a certified surgical

 2  first assistant or to the employer of a certified surgical

 3  first assistant who performs such services that are assigned

 4  by the supervising physician or osteopathic physician. This

 5  paragraph applies only if reimbursement for an assisting

 6  physician licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459 would be

 7  covered and the certified surgical first assistant who

 8  performs such services is used as a substitute. As used in

 9  this paragraph, the term "certified surgical first assistant"

10  means a person who is an unlicensed health care provider that

11  is directly accountable to a physician licensed under chapter

12  458, or an osteopathic physician licensed under chapter 459,

13  or, in the absence of a physician or osteopathic physician, a

14  registered nurse licensed under chapter 464, and who is

15  certified by the National Surgical Assistant Association on

16  the Certification of Surgical Assistants, the Liaison Council

17  on Certification of Surgical Technologists, or the American

18  Board of Surgical Assistants.

19         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2005.

20  

21            *****************************************

22                          SENATE SUMMARY

23    Provides for health insurance to pay for services
      rendered by certified surgical first assistants, as
24    defined, which meet certain criteria.

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.