Senator Bobby Powell (D- West Palm Beach) and Representative Kelly Skidmore (D-Boca Raton) have re-filed legislation (HB345/SB316) to ensure that medical practices are managed by physicians and groups composed of physicians.
The Florida Medical Association (FMA) reports that in Florida, more than 54% of physicians are employees in their practice and have no ownership. The FMA further states that this lack of ownership leads to a prioritization of profits over quality patient care due to understaffing, replacement of physicians with non-physician practitioners, and an inflation of costs to the patients as seen with increases in out of network charges and “surprise billing.”
“When Floridians go to the doctor, they want to know that the care they are receiving is based on that doctor’s medical expertise and experience,” says Representative Skidmore. “Unfortunately, in Florida, health care is often decided by corporate entities whose only interest is the bottom-line. This bill does for doctors what we have already done for dentists and lawyers. Only a dentist can own a dental practice and only a lawyer can own a law firm. The same should be true for physicians.”
“The practice of medicine is increasingly being controlled by corporate interests. This legislation takes the first steps in bringing Florida in line with a majority of states exerting some modicum of restraint over corporate domination of the medical profession. A physician’s first duty is to the wellbeing of the patient, not the stockholders,” stated Senator Powell.
Currently, most states address the corporate practice of medicine in statute.
