Florida Senate - 2020 SB 1888 By Senator Harrell 25-01748B-20 20201888__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to health care studies; requiring the 3 Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government 4 Accountability to conduct analyses of other states’ 5 use of the combined recovery care center and 6 ambulatory surgical center model and the advanced 7 birthing center model; providing requirements for such 8 analyses; requiring the office to submit reports on 9 its findings and any recommendations to the Governor 10 and the Legislature by a specified date; requiring the 11 office to contract with a certain entity to conduct an 12 analysis of the impact of licensing specialty 13 hospitals in this state and in other states; providing 14 requirements for such analysis; requiring the office 15 to submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature 16 by a specified date; providing an effective date. 17 18 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 19 20 Section 1. (1) The Office of Program Policy Analysis and 21 Government Accountability shall conduct an analysis of other 22 states’ use of the recovery care center (RCC) and ambulatory 23 surgical center (ASC) model to allow for expanded types of 24 surgeries to be performed outside of the hospital setting. The 25 office may contract with an independent entity that has 26 experience in health care economics and policy to conduct this 27 study. The office shall do, at a minimum, all of the following: 28 (a) Determine which surgeries the other states allow an ASC 29 using an RCC to perform which may not otherwise be performed by 30 the ASC. 31 (b) Determine which payment methods are accepted by RCCs in 32 other states, including the types of insurance accepted and 33 whether the RCCs accept Medicaid and Medicare. 34 (c) Compare the other states’ requirements between 35 hospitals, ASCs, and RCCs with respect to physical plant and 36 building code requirements. 37 (d) Study the effect of the combined ASC and RCC model on: 38 1. Costs to the patient; 39 2. Costs to the state; 40 3. Quality of care, including, but not limited to, patient 41 outcomes, adverse incidents, rates of infection, and hospital 42 admission rates; and 43 4. Any other points of data the office determines to be 44 relevant to the study. 45 (2) The office shall submit a report of its findings and 46 any recommendations to the Governor, the President of the 47 Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by 48 October 1, 2021. 49 Section 2. (1) The Office of Program Policy Analysis and 50 Government Accountability shall conduct an analysis of other 51 states’ use of the advanced birthing center (ABC) model that 52 allows higher-risk pregnancies to be delivered outside of the 53 hospital setting. The office may contract with an independent 54 entity that has experience in health care economics and policy 55 to conduct this study. The office shall do, at a minimum, all of 56 the following: 57 (a) Determine which payment methods are accepted by ABCs in 58 other states, including the types of insurance accepted and 59 whether the ABCs accept Medicaid. 60 (b) Review other states’ requirements for physical plant 61 and building code requirements imposed on ABCs, noting any 62 differences compared to the requirements for hospitals offering 63 birthing services. 64 (c) Study the effect of the ABC model on: 65 1. Costs to the patient; 66 2. Costs to the state; 67 3. Quality of care, including, but not limited to, patient 68 outcomes, adverse incidents, rates of infection, and hospital 69 admission rates; and 70 4. Any other points of data the office determines to be 71 relevant to the study. 72 (2) The office shall submit a report of its findings and 73 any recommendations to the Governor, the President of the 74 Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by 75 October 1, 2021. 76 Section 3. (1) The Office of Program Policy Analysis and 77 Government Accountability shall contract with an independent 78 entity that has experience in health care economics and policy 79 to conduct an analysis of the impact of licensing specialty 80 hospitals in this state and in other states. The study must 81 evaluate, at a minimum, all of the following: 82 (a) The quality of care provided at specialty hospitals and 83 the impact on the quality of care at other general hospitals. 84 (b) The ability of specialty hospitals to maintain adequate 85 staff and the effects that the licensure of specialty hospitals 86 have on the ability of general hospitals to maintain adequate 87 staff. 88 (c) Patient volumes at specialty hospitals and at general 89 hospitals, including patient referral and utilization patterns 90 and changes in bed capacity and service volume. 91 (d) The volume of charity care and Medicaid services 92 provided by specialty hospitals compared to general hospitals 93 and the effect that the licensure of specialty hospitals has on 94 the ability of general hospitals to provide charity care. 95 (e) The effect that the licensure of specialty hospitals 96 has on the volume of charity care, Medicaid services, and 97 Medicare services provided by general hospitals as percentages 98 of total services, as well as a comparison of those percentages 99 and profit margins between general hospitals and specialty 100 hospitals. 101 (f) The economic effects of licensing specialty hospitals, 102 including their financial performance and the economic effects 103 that the licensure of specialty hospitals have on general 104 hospitals. 105 (g) The effects that the licensure of specialty hospitals 106 have on the cost of care provided by all hospitals. 107 (2) The office shall submit a report of its findings and 108 any recommendations to the Governor, the President of the 109 Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by 110 October 1, 2021. 111 Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.