Lawmakers Propose Financial Responsibility Standards for Cosmetic Surgery

MIAMI — Prompted by the deaths of several out-of-state women, Florida lawmakers are advancing a bill to crack down on the state’s cosmetic surgery industry.

South Florida has become a hub for trendy-yet-dangerous cosmetic surgeries. Costs for such procedures have plummeted, while routine surgeries covered by insurance and Medicaid have skyrocketed.

The bill proposed by Miami-area Republicans Sen. Anitere Flores and Rep. Anthony Rodriguez would require facilities and doctors to demonstrate financial responsibility to pay out claims when deemed at fault for serious injury or death.

The legislation was approved by a House committee earlier this month and has support in both chambers. It would permit officials to suspend or place five-year bans on bad actors who fail to comply with the rule changes.