Florida Senate - 2017                             CS for SB 1206
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Health Policy; and Senator Montford
       
       
       
       
       
       588-02951-17                                          20171206c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the rights and responsibilities of
    3         patients; amending s. 381.026, F.S.; requiring health
    4         care facilities and providers to authorize patients to
    5         bring in any person of the patients’ choosing to
    6         specified areas of the facilities or providers’
    7         offices under certain circumstances; requiring health
    8         care facilities and providers to include such
    9         authorization as an additional patient standard in the
   10         statement of rights and responsibilities made
   11         available to patients by health care providers;
   12         providing an effective date.
   13          
   14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   15  
   16         Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (4) and subsection
   17  (6) of section 381.026, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   18         381.026 Florida Patient’s Bill of Rights and
   19  Responsibilities.—
   20         (4) RIGHTS OF PATIENTS.—Each health care facility or
   21  provider shall observe the following standards:
   22         (a) Individual dignity.—
   23         1. The individual dignity of a patient must be respected at
   24  all times and upon all occasions.
   25         2. Every patient who is provided health care services
   26  retains certain rights to privacy, which must be respected
   27  without regard to the patient’s economic status or source of
   28  payment for his or her care. The patient’s rights to privacy
   29  must be respected to the extent consistent with providing
   30  adequate medical care to the patient and with the efficient
   31  administration of the health care facility or provider’s office.
   32  However, this subparagraph does not preclude necessary and
   33  discreet discussion of a patient’s case or examination by
   34  appropriate medical personnel.
   35         3. A patient has the right to a prompt and reasonable
   36  response to a question or request. A health care facility shall
   37  respond in a reasonable manner to the request of a patient’s
   38  health care provider for medical services to the patient. The
   39  health care facility shall also respond in a reasonable manner
   40  to the patient’s request for other services customarily rendered
   41  by the health care facility to the extent such services do not
   42  require the approval of the patient’s health care provider or
   43  are not inconsistent with the patient’s treatment.
   44         4. A patient in a health care facility has the right to
   45  retain and use personal clothing or possessions as space
   46  permits, unless for him or her to do so would infringe upon the
   47  right of another patient or is medically or programmatically
   48  contraindicated for documented medical, safety, or programmatic
   49  reasons.
   50         5. A patient receiving care in a health care facility or in
   51  a provider’s office has the right to bring any person of his or
   52  her choosing to the patient-accessible areas of the health care
   53  facility or provider’s office to accompany the patient while the
   54  patient is receiving inpatient or outpatient treatment or is
   55  consulting with his or her health care provider, unless doing so
   56  would risk the safety or health of the patient, other patients,
   57  or staff of the facility or office or cannot be reasonably
   58  accommodated by the facility or provider.
   59         (6) SUMMARY OF RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES.—Any health care
   60  provider who treats a patient in an office or any health care
   61  facility licensed under chapter 395 that provides emergency
   62  services and care or outpatient services and care to a patient,
   63  or admits and treats a patient, shall adopt and make available
   64  to the patient, in writing, a statement of the rights and
   65  responsibilities of patients, including the following:
   66  
   67                SUMMARY OF THE FLORIDA PATIENT’S BILL              
   68                   OF RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES                  
   69  
   70         Florida law requires that your health care provider or
   71  health care facility recognize your rights while you are
   72  receiving medical care and that you respect the health care
   73  provider’s or health care facility’s right to expect certain
   74  behavior on the part of patients. You may request a copy of the
   75  full text of this law from your health care provider or health
   76  care facility. A summary of your rights and responsibilities
   77  follows:
   78         A patient has the right to be treated with courtesy and
   79  respect, with appreciation of his or her individual dignity, and
   80  with protection of his or her need for privacy.
   81         A patient has the right to a prompt and reasonable response
   82  to questions and requests.
   83         A patient has the right to know who is providing medical
   84  services and who is responsible for his or her care.
   85         A patient has the right to know what patient support
   86  services are available, including whether an interpreter is
   87  available if he or she does not speak English.
   88         A patient has the right to bring any person of his or her
   89  choosing to the patient-accessible areas of the health care
   90  facility or provider’s office to accompany the patient while the
   91  patient is receiving inpatient or outpatient treatment or is
   92  consulting with his or her health care provider, unless doing so
   93  would risk the safety or health of the patient, other patients,
   94  or staff of the facility or office or cannot be reasonably
   95  accommodated by the facility or provider.
   96         A patient has the right to know what rules and regulations
   97  apply to his or her conduct.
   98         A patient has the right to be given by the health care
   99  provider information concerning diagnosis, planned course of
  100  treatment, alternatives, risks, and prognosis.
  101         A patient has the right to refuse any treatment, except as
  102  otherwise provided by law.
  103         A patient has the right to be given, upon request, full
  104  information and necessary counseling on the availability of
  105  known financial resources for his or her care.
  106         A patient who is eligible for Medicare has the right to
  107  know, upon request and in advance of treatment, whether the
  108  health care provider or health care facility accepts the
  109  Medicare assignment rate.
  110         A patient has the right to receive, upon request, prior to
  111  treatment, a reasonable estimate of charges for medical care.
  112         A patient has the right to receive a copy of a reasonably
  113  clear and understandable, itemized bill and, upon request, to
  114  have the charges explained.
  115         A patient has the right to impartial access to medical
  116  treatment or accommodations, regardless of race, national
  117  origin, religion, handicap, or source of payment.
  118         A patient has the right to treatment for any emergency
  119  medical condition that will deteriorate from failure to provide
  120  treatment.
  121         A patient has the right to know if medical treatment is for
  122  purposes of experimental research and to give his or her consent
  123  or refusal to participate in such experimental research.
  124         A patient has the right to express grievances regarding any
  125  violation of his or her rights, as stated in Florida law,
  126  through the grievance procedure of the health care provider or
  127  health care facility which served him or her and to the
  128  appropriate state licensing agency.
  129         A patient is responsible for providing to the health care
  130  provider, to the best of his or her knowledge, accurate and
  131  complete information about present complaints, past illnesses,
  132  hospitalizations, medications, and other matters relating to his
  133  or her health.
  134         A patient is responsible for reporting unexpected changes
  135  in his or her condition to the health care provider.
  136         A patient is responsible for reporting to the health care
  137  provider whether he or she comprehends a contemplated course of
  138  action and what is expected of him or her.
  139         A patient is responsible for following the treatment plan
  140  recommended by the health care provider.
  141         A patient is responsible for keeping appointments and, when
  142  he or she is unable to do so for any reason, for notifying the
  143  health care provider or health care facility.
  144         A patient is responsible for his or her actions if he or
  145  she refuses treatment or does not follow the health care
  146  provider’s instructions.
  147         A patient is responsible for assuring that the financial
  148  obligations of his or her health care are fulfilled as promptly
  149  as possible.
  150         A patient is responsible for following health care facility
  151  rules and regulations affecting patient care and conduct.
  152         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017.