(The Center Square) – An aging population in Florida is increasing demand for “vastly different and more costly forms of health care,” according to new report from a taxpayer group.

The study Hospice and Pallative Care by Florida TaxWatch focuses on palliative treatments – the management of serious chronic medical conditions – and hospice, end-of-life care. The nonprofit taxpayer research institute bills itself an independent, nonpartisan government watchdog.

Recommended Stories

• UFC ends pay-per-view model with Paramount deal 
• Erin: Watch underway for potential of Atlantic hurricane season’s first
• CDC union warns vaccine disinformation put staff at risk following shooting

“Florida TaxWatch undertakes this report to ensure our state policies and practices improve the outcomes of hospice and palliative care for our seniors, save taxpayers hard-earned money, and add dignity to our seniors’ quality of life,” the organization said.

Florida is ranked in the top 10 nationally among states for hospice care, in part because of the certificate of need laws regulating the number of hospices based on the projected number of patients to prevent overbuilding.

“Perhaps the most significant challenge to hospice is the threat of repealing the CON program,” TaxWatch said. “CON has helped to create a relatively stable growth rate of newly licensed hospice care facilities in Florida.”

So far, the Legislature has resisted calls to repeal the CON program, the report states.

Florida TaxWatch recommends the CON program be retained and that hospice regulators “continue to identify ways that Florida hospice providers can continue to provide high quality care for Floridians.”

Half of Florida counties don’t have enough palliative care available for seniors. One solution may be more home-based palliative care, which is less expensive in the long-term, the report concludes.

It recommends changing Florida law to allow acute care nurse practitioners to work independently in hospices and palliative care facilities.

“Authorizing APRNs to practice autonomously would reduce the workload of physicians and costs for hospice and palliative care programs,” the report states.

APRN is an acronym for advanced practice registered nurses.

FLORIDA HOUSE SPEAKER STARTS PROCESS FOR MID-DECADE REDISTRICTING

Some progress has been made in that area, the report states. During the 2025 session, Florida legislators passed a bill allowing APRNs to sign death certificates and work under a written physician protocol.

“These changes, however, do not have a direct impact on the care at the patient’s bedside or allow for full autonomy,” Florida TaxWatch said.