Florida Statutes 456.0575 – Duty to notify patients
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Terms Used In Florida Statutes 456.0575
- Charity: An agency, institution, or organization in existence and operating for the benefit of an indefinite number of persons and conducted for educational, religious, scientific, medical, or other beneficent purposes.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Health care practitioner: means any person licensed under chapter 457; chapter 458; chapter 459; chapter 460; chapter 461; chapter 462; chapter 463; chapter 464; chapter 465; chapter 466; chapter 467; part I, part II, part III, part V, part X, part XIII, or part XIV of chapter 468; chapter 478; chapter 480; part I, part II, or part III of chapter 483; chapter 484; chapter 486; chapter 490; or chapter 491. See Florida Statutes 456.001
- person: includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
- writing: includes handwriting, printing, typewriting, and all other methods and means of forming letters and characters upon paper, stone, wood, or other materials. See Florida Statutes 1.01
(1) Every licensed health care practitioner shall inform each patient, or an individual identified pursuant to s. 765.401(1), in person about adverse incidents that result in serious harm to the patient. Notification of outcomes of care that result in harm to the patient under this section does not constitute an acknowledgment of admission of liability, nor can such notifications be introduced as evidence.
(2) Upon request by a patient, before providing nonemergency medical services in a facility licensed under chapter 395, a health care practitioner shall provide, in writing or by electronic means, a good faith estimate of reasonably anticipated charges to treat the patient’s condition at the facility. The health care practitioner shall provide the estimate to the patient within 7 business days after receiving the request and is not required to adjust the estimate for any potential insurance coverage. The health care practitioner shall inform the patient that the patient may contact his or her health insurer or health maintenance organization for additional information concerning cost-sharing responsibilities. The health care practitioner shall provide information to uninsured patients and insured patients for whom the practitioner is not a network provider or preferred provider which discloses the practitioner’s financial assistance policy, including the application process, payment plans, discounts, or other available assistance, and the practitioner’s charity care policy and collection procedures. Such estimate does not preclude the actual charges from exceeding the estimate. Failure to provide the estimate in accordance with this subsection, without good cause, shall result in disciplinary action against the health care practitioner and a daily fine of $500 until the estimate is provided to the patient. The total fine may not exceed $5,000.