F.S.A. § 381.026

Florida Patient’s Bill of Rights and Responsibilities

This law was passed to promote a general understanding of patients’ rights and responsibilities  when undergoing health care treatment or receiving health care services.

Each provider and health facility must observe the following standards.

• An individual’s dignity must be respected at all times. 
• Each patient has a right to privacy regardless of economic status and source of payment for care. 
• Each patient has the right to prompt and reasonable response to a question requiring health facilities to provide a timely response.
• A patient in a health facility has the right to retain his or her personal items unless doing so would infringe on another patient’s rights or would be medically contraindicated. 
• A patient has the right to know all relevant information about his or her health care provider. 
• Patients in health care facilities have the right to know about patient support services that are available.
• Patients have the right to be given medical information regarding diagnosis, treatment, alternatives, risks, and prognosis, unless the patient cannot be given this information, in which case the information may be given to the patient’s representative.
• A patient has the right to refuse treatment.
• A patient has the right to know the rules that apply to patient conduct.
• A patient has the right to express grievances to a health care provider, health facility, or state licensing agency regarding violations of patients’ rights. 
• A patient in a health facility who does not speak English has the right to be provided with an interpreter. 
• A health facility must respect a patient’s privacy and not ask about firearm ownership of the patient or patient’s family, unless it is relevant to the patient’s medical care.  Similarly, a health care provider may not discriminate against a patient for owning a firearm.
• A patient has the right to receive complete information on the availability of financial resources for the health care services being provided.
• Health care providers and facilities must inform patients whether they are eligible for Medicare before treatment, and whether the provider or facility accepts Medicare reimbursement. 
• A primary care provider may publish a schedule of charges for the services it offers, including prices that an uninsured individual would pay paying by different modes  (cash, check, credit card).  The schedule must be posted conspicuously in the primary care provider’s office and must include the 50 most commonly performed procedures.  A provider who publishes the schedule will be exempt from the licensing fee for one period and exempt from the continuing education requirements for 1 two-year period. 
• A health care provider or facility must furnish a reasonable estimate of the charges for service before it begins, if a patient requests.   The estimates should be easy to understand.
•  Licensed facilities not operated by the state must make available performance outcome and financial data published by the agency on its website to the public.  The facility must note that this information is available electronically and provide the website address. 
• A patient has the right to receive an itemized bill upon request, with an explanation of charges.    
• A patient has the right to impartial access to health care, regardless of race, religion, handicap or source of payment.
• A patient has the right to receive emergency medical treatment.
• The patient has the right to any mode of treatment in the patient’s best interest.
• A patient has the right to know if any treatment is experimental research and has the right to consent to the treatment.

Any health care provider or facility must provide patients with a written statement of rights, which must include a summary provided for in the law.