Member Alert 3-24-21

Regulatory Alert: New ASC Pediatric Care Rule Affects Your ASC

Yesterday, the Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA) published the final text for the pediatric rule. The rule goes into effect on April 7, 2021.  AHCA did not make any changes to the text they proposed in February. That text was the result of a considerable dialog between the ASC industry and AHCA lasting several years.

The rule satisfies the statutory requirement that AHCA complete a pediatric rule prior to ASCs being allowed to offer U-18 patients 23-hour care. Although the rule was developed in the context of the 23-hour care setting, the language of the rule applies to all pediatric patients served by the ASC. 

The rule places an age minimum for pediatric patients at 30 days old.  Further clearances are needed for pre-mature birth patients. The rule sets in place quality standards governing the delivery of care including PALS certification, a list of equipment that must be age and size appropriate, quality assessment and improvement processes and additional criteria for length of stays past midnight.

ASCs must develop policies and procedures for the treatment of pediatric patients, approved by their Governing Board and appropriate admission criteria.  Please review the final text of the proposed rule here.

If you have any questions about the pediatric rule or how it applies to your center, please contact us at 850.222.3000 or e-mail [email protected].

Thank you for being a member of FSASC. 

Member Alert 12-21-20

FSASC Alert: Division of Workers’ Compensation Making Changes to ASC Reimbursement

The Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation (Division) has taken the first step in the process of making changes to the ASC Reimbursement Manual. The Manual has remained unchanged since it went into effect in 2016.  

The current reimbursement methodology has been strongly opposed by payors because it is based in facility charges which they argue are inherently flawed. They prefer a Medicare-based system like that introduced but not adopted in legislation the past several years. FSASC has successfully advocated to keep a charge-based reimbursement for ASCs which controls for outliers through Maximum Reimbursement Allowances (MRAs).

Member Alert 12-1-20

Regulatory Alert: AHCA Pediatric Care Rulemaking Hurts ASCs

The Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA) recently released proposed rule language setting new requirements for pediatric care in the ASC.  FSASC has reviewed the proposed new requirements and believes that many negate decades of ASC pediatric patient practice and form an unnecessary additional burden on ASCs treating pediatric patients.

AHCA Proposed Rule Text

Next Steps:
AHCA is gathering public testimony about the proposed rule on Wednesday, December 9^th beginning at 3 pm (see notice here). FSASC encourages its members to read the proposed rule text and to share it with physicians involved in pediatric care.  FSASC also encourages its members to testify on the call or in writing during the comment period.  We have prepared on outline of our concerns with the rule.

Member Alert 5-18-20

FSASC Announces Cancellation of in-person 2020 Annual Conference & Trade Show

The Annual Conference & Trade show scheduled for July 15-17 at Disney’s Swan and Dolphin in Orlando has been cancelled due to public health and safety concerns related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. 

We will be working with our industry partners and the education committee to develop an on-line trade show and a series of webinars to take place during 2020.  Further details about future opportunities will be communicated as soon as they are finalized.