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A new law which comes into force on January 1 in Florida to require hospitals to give an estimate of the costs of medical procedures and treatments to patients.

This is the new Law on Right to Information Consumer, which is an amendment to the Law on the Rights and Obligations of Patients Florida.


This legislation aims to help the thousands of Florida residents who lack health insurance to make educated decisions when looking for a health service plan, which does not fall into the category of emergency.

The estimate, which must be made in writing in detail and in language easily understood, it must also reflect the political cost of the medical center or doctor.


Hospitals and doctors not affiliated with the government must also publish in a visible place of the reception room, the Web site on the Internet, where patients can find a detailed report on the costs of regular medical procedures more common for adults and children.

Similarly, health centers and doctors should give patients information on where to find details of discounts on their policies and the existence of charitable services and health insurance that could be eligible, including information on Medicare and Medicaid.


The Law on the Right to Information Consumer also provides a fine for doctors, hospitals and health centers that do not comply with providing information to patients.

With nearly 3 million people, 31 percent Hispanic, who lack health insurance details on the costs of health care will be a useful tool, according to the law so that they can make decisions regarding the treatment and medical procedure to follow based on their skills and economic cost comparison between health centers.


Could be particularly useful for thousands of parents who need to take medical decisions for their children, since according to Families USA, a nonprofit organization based in Washington and to ensure accessibility to health services, economic, 1 in every six children, or 797,000 children in Florida lack health insurance.

Knowing the cost of medical procedures would improve the chances of people who have no insurance, since according to the Robert Johnson Foundation, 40 percent of the residents of Florida last year did not seek medical treatment because of the cost of them.


Among other laws that come into effect on January 1 in Florida found that states that public employees, after a year of probation required, may only be dismissed for certain causes, while municipal and government agencies should take into account the prior years of service to promote or dismiss an employee.

As of January agencies changes checks will undergo frequent audits by the state, according to another new law on consumer protection.