The bill amends Florida Statutes to enhance patient awareness and protections regarding out-of-network healthcare services. It requires health care practitioners to provide written notification to patients when referring them to nonparticipating providers for nonemergency services. This notice must inform patients that the services will be provided on an out-of-network basis, potentially leading to higher out-of-pocket costs, and must be documented in the patient's medical record. Additionally, practitioners are required to confirm the network status of the referral provider, and failure to comply may result in disciplinary action against the practitioner.

Furthermore, the bill mandates that health insurers apply payments for services rendered by nonpreferred providers toward the insured's deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums under specific conditions. These conditions include the insured's request for such application, the service being covered under the policy, and the charges from the nonpreferred provider being equal to or less than the average charges from preferred providers or the statewide average. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.