07.05.18
Effective July 1, 2018, the state of Florida will no longer require in-state or out-of-state laboratories to be licensed by the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA).
During the 2018 legislative session, the state of Florida repealed AHCA’s authority to license clinical laboratories.
Prior to the repeal, clinical laboratories providing services in Florida had to maintain a license with the state, absent limited exceptions from licensure. This change in law affects thousands of out-of-state laboratories that never even had an office in Florida but only collected specimens for testing within the state of Florida.
Going forward all providers who perform laboratory testing in Florida must continue to maintain certification from the clinical laboratory improvements amendments program. Note, however, that the repeal of the licensure statute does not affect compliance with the Florida lab specific kickback prohibition.
READ: Discontinuation of Clinical Laboratory Licensure Program