New Worker Protection Laws Take Effect in Florida

There has been a dramatic change in Florida’s workers compensation landscape. Recent legal reforms to improve access to care and provide uniform labor protections across the state are finally beginning to address issues employees have experienced for years, including delayed access to care, complicated filing process and limited access to specialized care.

A Shift Toward More Accessible Care:

Senate Bill 362 provides astonishingly better reimbursement for medical treatment for workers compensation matters. Doctors who provide care for injured employees will be compensated for their services at a 175% of Medicare rates instead of 110% previously while surgical work will be at 210% instead of 140%. Expert witness fees also increased, from $200/hour to $300/hour. The intent is to incentivize healthcare providers and improve injured employee’s access to the necessary medical care in a more timely fashion.

Standardizing Worker Protections Statewide:

House Bill 433 went into effect moving labor regulation authority from local governments to the state, meaning that municipalities can no longer have different rules around heat safety, wage requirements, or scheduling practices. However, while this creates a more straightforward compliance obligation for businesses, it adds a greater burden on state laws to provide protections for workers.

While Florida implements these reforms, legal help is still crucial to ensure injured workers do not continue to be neglected.