HB 23A - Recovery Care Services Summary

• Establishes "recovery care centers" as a new licensed facility type in Florida for postsurgical and postdiagnostic care, with patient admission and discharge within 72 hours, excluding acute care hospitalization.

• Requires recovery care center patients be certified as medically stable by a physician before admission and restricts facilities to serving patients for whom acute care hospitalization is not required with uncomplicated recovery expected.

• Mandates recovery care centers maintain emergency care and transfer protocols with referral or admission agreements to at least one hospital, plus discharge planning procedures.

• Exempts recovery care centers from certain minimum licensing requirements under the Health Care Licensing Procedures Act and directs the Agency for Health Care Administration to establish separate care and treatment standards for these facilities.

• Takes effect July 1, 2015, and updates multiple Florida Statutes to incorporate recovery care centers into existing health care facility regulatory framework and definitions.