Florida hospital prices: your rights before and after a visit
Florida law adds to the federal price rules. Before scheduled care, ask the hospital for a written estimate, and ask whether what you’d pay through your plan is more than its cash price: the hospital has to tell you.
Before the visit
- Posted prices. Hospitals must post prices for at least 300 shoppable services, or offer an online estimator, and link to the state’s price tool.
- A written estimate. On request, before non-emergency care, the hospital must give you a good faith estimate of what it will charge.
- Cash or plan. The hospital must tell you whether your share under your insurance plan is more than its cash price for the same service.
After the visit
- Itemized bill. You can ask for an itemized bill, and the hospital must have a process for disputing it.
- Before collections. A hospital may not take extraordinary collection action before it has checked whether you qualify for financial assistance, given you an itemized bill and, if you’re insured, waited for your insurer’s decision. It must also give you 30 days’ written notice first.
The state’s price tool and this site
Florida Health Price Finder shows average payments from insurers’ claims by county. It isn’t specific to your plan and doesn’t use the hospitals’ own price files. Cash or Plan shows each hospital’s published cash price and insurer rates, and your plan’s price puts your plan’s rate next to the cash price.
Sources: Florida Statutes 395.301 and 395.3011; Florida Health Price Finder. Some estimate deadlines depend on federal rules not yet final. This is general information, not legal advice.