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Senate May Consider "Recovery Care" Proposal

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TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) - Taking up a health-care issue backed by House leaders, a Senate Republican on Thursday filed a bill that would allow patients to stay longer at ambulatory-surgical centers and allow the operation of "recovery care centers."

Sen. Don Gaetz filed the proposal for consideration during the 2016 legislative session, which starts in January. The House approved such a proposal during a June special session, but the Senate did not vote on it.

Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen has filed a similar bill for the 2016 session.

Under current state law, patients are required to be discharged from ambulatory-surgical centers on the same day they undergo procedures. But Gaetz's bill would allow patients to stay up to 24 hours. Also, it would allow "recovery care" centers, where patients could stay up to 72 hours after surgery.

Florida does not currently issue licenses to recovery-care facilities.

Parts of the hospital industry opposed House efforts to pass such a bill this year, raising concerns about issues such as profitable services being siphoned from hospitals to the other types of facilities. But House Republican leaders supported the ideas as part of a package of changes they want to make in the state's health-care system.

The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.

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