Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration, or AHCA, has launched a new comparison tool for consumers looking for assisted living communities.
The tool, at www.FloridaHealthfinder.gov, enables comparison of inspection results, facility complaints, nurse availability, imposed fines, special programs and other service/quality measures among more than 3,000 assisted living communities from around the state. The website, which receives more than 3 million visitors a year, according to AHCA, already had offered comparison tools for nursing homes, hospitals and health plans.
AHCA was required to add the information about assisted living as one of the provisions of H.B. 1001, which was signed into law earlier this year.
“I am proud of what we were able to accomplish last session when we passed H.B. 1001,” said state Rep. Larry Ahern, who sponsored the bill in the Florida House of Representatives. “A major component of the bill was the comparison tool. This component makes more information accessible to consumers so they can make better decisions about their own or another family member‘s healthcare. Another benefit of the tool is that it provides greater accountability in these communities, thus ensuring residents receive the best possible care.”
State Sen. Eleanor Sobel had sponsored the bill in the Florida Senate.
