Governor Scott signed into law House Bill 1175 relating to Transparency in Health Care. The new law makes several changes to existing laws regulating the licensure of hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs).

Effective July 1, 2016, all providers licensed under chapter 395, including hospitals and ASCs, must have a website providing the following information:

• Details on the facility’s financial assistance policy, including the application process, payment plans, discounts, and the facility’s charity care policy and collection procedures.
• A notice that services may be provided by the facility and by other health care providers who may separately bill the patient and that such health care providers may or may not participate with the same health insurance organizations as the facility.
• A statement that patients may request from the facility and health care providers a more personalized estimate of charges and other information, and a notice informing patients that they should contact each health care practitioner who will provide services for an estimate of their charges and insurance coverage.
• Contact information (name, address, and telephone number) for the health care practitioners and medical practice groups with which the facility contracts to provide services within the facility and instructions on how to contact the practitioners and groups to determine the health insurance organizations with which they participate.

The new law imposes various additional pre-treatment and post-treatment transparency obligations on hospitals, ASCs, and health care practitioners providing non-emergency services in these facilities, as well as insurers and HMOs.