Florida lawmakers could be preparing for a renewed debate about easing regulations in the state’s health care industry.
A House panel last week began considering the “certificate of need” process — a long-controversial system that requires state regulatory approvals before facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes can be built.
Also, bills have been filed in the House and Senate that address issues such as the regulation of ambulatory surgical centers and clearing the way for “direct primary care” agreements between doctors and patients.
The issues are not new: House leaders in recent years have repeatedly sought to scale back certificate-of-need laws and make other regulatory changes.
The House and Senate, however, have not agreed on the issues, which have been closely watched by lobbyists for sometimes-competing parts of the health care industry.
House leaders have backed eliminating the certificate-of-need process for hospitals, arguing such a free-market approach would improve access to care.
But proposals to make major regulatory changes in the health care industry also will draw detractors.
As an example, opponents of eliminating the certificate-of-need process have argued such a move would lead to hospitals being built in affluent areas to serve insured patients, while longstanding public and safety-net hospitals would be left to treat low-income and uninsured patients.
Efforts to revamp health care regulations in Florida come amid broader questions nationally about changes in the industry.
Many of those questions center on the push by President-elect Donald Trump and Republican members of Congress to scrap the Affordable Care Act, which would affect patients, medical providers and insurers.
Along with the certificate-of-need issue, the Legislature also likely will revisit proposals dealing with ambulatory surgical centers and what are known as “recovery care” centers.
Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen, R-Fort Myers, and Sen. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, have filed bills (HB 145 and SB 222) that would allow patients to stay up to 24 hours at ambulatory surgical centers. Current law bars overnight stays.