Fee Schedule May Not Make it Past Legislature, Stakeholders Say

Proposed health care fee schedules released this week by the Florida Division of Workers' Compensation could boost outpatient surgery fees by 27% and raise medical costs by as much as $144 million, an analysis shows. The Three-Member Panel on Wednesday voted to begin the rulemaking process to adopt new new reimbursement levels. But advocates on both sides of the issue say that under Florida's Legislature-as-final-arbiter approach, the changes may never see the light of day and won't significantly hurt employers even if they do. "While no increased costs are eve...