Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability

Health Care Regulation Program, Agency for Health Care Administration

Report 01-24, May 2001




Report Summary

The Health Care Regulation Program ensures that all Floridians have access to quality health care through the licensure and regulation of health care facilities and through the intake and investigation of consumer complaints against health care facilities, practitioners, and health care service providers. Our findings and recommendations are presented below.

  • The program needs to improve its response to serious situations that represent an immediate threat to consumers and increase sanctions for hospitals that fail to report harm to patients.
  • The program has increased consumer access through privatizing its complaint in-take services. However, the program should increase its use of alternative dispute resolution methods, which would allow it to serve more consumers and make better use of limited resources. In addition, the program needs to assess its success in serving non-English speaking consumers.
  • Recent AHCA action to cancel the Medicaid contracts of six nursing homes did not use strong, available statutory remedies to address problems with these facilities.
  • AHCA has not developed an effective system for informing consumers about the quality of care provided in nursing homes.


Related Reports
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    Report 05-04 February 2005
  2. Progress Report: Medical Quality Assurance Improves Accountability System; Information Tracking Concerns Persist
    Report 04-71 October 2004
  3. While Medical Quality Assurance Improving, Licensure Needs Increased Accountability
    Report 03-06 January 2003
  4. Expected Medicaid Savings Unrealized; Performance, Cost Information Not Timely for Legislative Purposes
    Report 01-61 November 2001
Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.
Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.
social services, health, health, health care regulation, health care facilities, health care practitioners, medical quality assurance, medicaid HMOs, managed care, choice counseling, nursing homes