How to Use FloridaHealthFinder.gov

Frequently Asked Questions

What will the FloridaHealthFinder.gov webinar cover and how do I sign up?

The webinar is a FREE live virtual tour featuring the highlights of the FloridaHealthFinder.gov website. There will also be a question and answer period, at the end, to address your personal needs or questions about this site. Webinars are offered in English or Spanish and will include a general overview of the website or they can be tailored specifically for the new patient data query tool.

If you are interested in signing up for a webinar, please contact us . A webinar time and date will be formed and an invitation will be sent to you, by email, with instructions on how to log in. If the time or date does not work for your schedule, let us know by email and we will invite you to another webinar.

Who is responsible for this website and what is its purpose?

The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) created FloridaHealthFinder.gov to provide easy access to health care information. The website began in 2000 and since then has been updated and expanded, gaining national recognition as a leader in health care transparency. Studies show that public reporting of provider performance is a key element that promotes enhanced patient care and consumer choice.

Through health care quality comparison tools, the health encyclopedia, and many other resources, Floridians can use this website to learn about medical conditions, compare health care facilities and providers, find health care resources, and much more.

What can I learn from the hospital and ambulatory surgery comparison tool?

The Hospitals and Ambulatory Surgery Centers comparison tool provides performance data for over 300 medical conditions and procedures in Florida's hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. This includes a range of charges, as well as the number of hospitalizations and the number of visits at ambulatory surgery centers. For hospitals it also includes the average length of stay; and rates for readmission, mortality, infections and complications. The hospital data includes a separate section for pediatric data and the results of a patient satisfaction survey.

For either type of facility, the user can make a selection based on health care conditions or procedures, facility name, and/or the geographic location of the facility. This information is updated on a quarterly basis.
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What is the health plan comparison tool?

The Health Plan tool looks at Florida health care plans, including commercial HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations), commercial PPOs (Preferred Provider Organizations), Florida Healthy Kids, Florida Medicaid and Medicare health plans. Comparison information includes a list of health plans available in each Florida County; quality of care indicators like screening or treatment for diabetes, high blood pressure, well-child visits, etc.; and member satisfaction survey results.

What other comparison tools are available?

The Physician comparison tool allows consumers to compare physicians by the number of surgeries performed during one year, for: total hip and total knee replacement, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and spinal fusion.

Compare Assisted Living Facilities by bed size, special services, number of complaints, sanction history and final orders.

Compare Home Health Agencies by service area, Medicaid and Medicare status, accreditation type, number of complaints, deficiencies, sanctions and final orders.

The Nursing Home Guide provides a star rating of nursing homes based on their inspection reports.

The Prescription Drug Prices link goes to MyFlorida.Rx.com where you can compare drug prices on the top 300 most commonly used prescription drugs at pharmacies in your community. The website lists retail prices, which is what an uninsured consumer, with no discount or drug coverage, would pay.
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What types of quality measures are displayed?
  • Readmission Rates – The hospital readmission rates are based on patients readmitted to the same facility or another short term acute care hospital within 15 days of the original admission for the same or related condition. This rate is assigned to the hospital that first admitted the patient regardless of where the patient is readmitted.
  • Mortality Rates – These measures reflect the quality of care given in hospitals. They include measures of mortality for selected medical conditions and surgical procedures; utilization of procedures for which there is overuse, underuse and misuse; and volume of procedures for which there is some evidence that a higher volume of procedures is associated with lower mortality.
  • Complication and Infection Rates – These measures help identify potentially preventable complications and infections that may occur during hospitalization. These indicators provide an initial measure of inpatient complications following surgeries, medical procedures, and childbirth.
  • Pediatric Measures – These measures provide a perspective on quality of pediatric healthcare. Specifically, they screen for problems that pediatric patients experience as a result of exposure to the healthcare system and that may be amenable to prevention by changes at the system or provider level.
How can I find health care facilities in Florida?

Click Facilities or Providers in the Locate section on the homepage to pull up a list of health care facilities and providers. On the search tool choose the facility/provider type then you can make other choices on the search tool (like county or city), if you wish, or click “Search” to get a statewide list. Additionally, for some facilities/providers you can click the “Advanced Search” option to find additional search criteria like bed or license type, license status, and special services and programs, etc. The provider profile page includes the address & driving directions, phone number, owner, administrator or CEO, emergency and legal actions (if applicable), special services and programs, a link to inspection reports, and other information.
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How can I file a complaint against a hospital, nursing home or some other health provider?

HEALTH CARE FACILITIES: For complaints against a health care facility or agency licensed and/or regulated by our Agency, click File a Complaint or call the toll-free number (888) 419-3456.

HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS: If your complaint is against a health care professional like a doctor, call the Department of Health’s toll-free number (877) 425-8852 or go to www.FLHealthSource.gov.