Panel Set to Approve New Hospital Inpatient Rates

Wednesday, June 27, 2018 | 0

The Florida Division of Workers' Compensation's Three-Member Panel will meet July 6 to approve new maximum reimbursement allowances for inpatient hospital care.

The panel meets regularly to approve changes in fee schedules. At the July 6 meeting, it will receive public comment and testimony before voting on the hospital per-diem rates, according to a notice and agenda for the meeting.

The panel is slated to set hospital rates on a sliding scale, depending on length of stay:

• Per diem rates for stays lasting five days or fewer would be $4,500 for surgery, $3,00 for non-surgical stays.
• Per diem rates for stays lasting longer than five days and less than 11 days would be $6,750 for surgery, $4,500 for non-surgical stays.
• Per diem rates for stays lasting longer than 10 days would be $9,000 for surgery, $6,000 for non-surgical stays.

The stop-loss provision also would be eliminated.

The changes would still have to be approved by the state Legislature. If approved, the fee schedule would take effect Jan. 1, 2019. 

The National Council on Compensation Insurance has estimated that the changes would have little impact on system costs in Florida.

The panel will meet at 11 a.m. at the Edwin Larson Building, Room 116, Tallahassee.