Florida Senate backs overnight stays at ASCs

Editor's Note

Under a bill approved unanimously December 5 by the Florida Senate Health Policy Committee, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) could treat patients overnight, the December 6 WUSF News reports.

Before approving the bill (SB 250), sponsored by Sen Greg Steube (R-Sarasota), the committee agreed to an amendment requiring the state Agency for Health Care Administration to work with state medical boards on adopting rules to ensure safe surgical care for children in ASCs. Under the amendments, no patient under age 18 could be kept at an ASC past midnight.

The Senate bill is similar to a House version (HB 23), which is ready to go to the House floor next month when the 2018 legislative session starts. However, the House bill doesn’t include the restrictions for children and would allow recovery-care centers.

Ambulatory surgical centers could treat patients overnight under a bill approved unanimously Tuesday by the Senate Health Policy Committee. Bill sponsor Sen. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, told the committee that ambulatory surgical centers are already "performing surgeries all day, every day" but patients usually have to schedule surgeries very early because they are required under current law to leave the same day.

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