H.3143 is a refiling of last session’s H.4542. The bill would require any surgery involving the ankle be performed in an accredited hospital or ambulatory surgical center. It would also require a podiatrist who performs boney surgical procedures of the ankle to be board-certified or board-eligible by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery.

Current regulations permit podiatrists to perform surgical procedures on the foot. This bill would give them the freedom to operate on the ankle as well and as such is a positive move.