Florida § 154.302 Legislative intent

Florida Statutes

§ 154.302 — Legislative intent

Florida § 154.302

TitleXI

Ch. 154PUBLIC HEALTH FACILITIES

This text of Florida § 154.302 (Legislative intent) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Fla. Stat. § 154.302 (2026).

Text

The Legislature finds that certain hospitals provide a disproportionate share of charity care for persons who are indigent, not able to pay their medical bills, and not eligible for government-funded programs. The burden of absorbing the cost of this uncompensated charity care is borne by the hospital, the private pay patients, and, many times, by the taxpayers in the county when the hospital is subsidized by tax revenues. The Legislature further finds that it is inequitable for hospitals and taxpayers of one county to be expected to subsidize the care of out-of-county indigent persons. Finally, the Legislature declares that the state and the counties must share the responsibility of assuring that adequate and affordable health care is available to all Floridians. Therefore, it is the inte

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

The Legislature finds that certain hospitals provide a disproportionate share of charity care for persons who are indigent, not able to pay their medical bills, and not eligible for government-funded programs. The burden of absorbing the cost of this uncompensated charity care is borne by the hospital, the private pay patients, and, many times, by the taxpayers in the county when the hospital is subsidized by tax revenues. The Legislature further finds that it is inequitable for hospitals and taxpayers of one county to be expected to subsidize the care of out-of-county indigent persons. Finally, the Legislature declares that the state and the counties must share the responsibility of assuring that adequate and affordable health care is available to all Floridians. Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature to place the ultimate financial obligation for the out-of-county hospital care of qualified indigent patients on the county in which the indigent patient resides.