New Rural Hospitals Coming to Florida?

A new Florida law taking effect on July 1, is intended expand the availability of emergency care in rural parts of the state.  The law creates a special licensing category for hospitals, called “rural emergency hospitals.”

While these designated hospitals will be eligible to accept Medicare payments, they will have an exemption from some requirements faced by other hospitals, such as offering inpatient care and surgical care.  They will be required to provide emergency care, observation care, and outpatient services that do not exceed a stay beyond 24-hours.