
    VISTA HEALTHPLAN, INC. (f/k/a HIP Health Plan of Florida, Inc. [via name change] and Beacon Health Plans, Inc. [via merger] ), and VISTA Healthplan of South Florida, Inc. (f/k/a Foundation Health, a Florida Health Plan, Inc.), Appellants, v. HCA, INC., [HCA] East Florida Division Inc., Miami Beach Healthcare Group, Ltd. (d/b/a Aventura Hospital and Medical Center), Cedars Healthcare Group, Ltd. (d/b/a Cedars Medical Center), Columbia Hospital (Palm Beaches) Limited Partnership (d/b/a Columbia Hospital), Columbia/JFK Medical Center Limited Partnership (d/b/a JFK Medical Center), Kendall Healthcare Group, Ltd. (d/b/a Kendall Regional Medical Center), Northwest Medical Center, Inc. (d/b/a Northwest Medical Center), Columbia Palms West Hospital Limited Partnership (d/b/a Palms West Hospital), Hospital Service Development Corp. (d/b/a Plantation General Hospital), University Hospital, Ltd. (d/b/a University Hospital and Medical Center), Columbia Hospital Corporation Of South Broward (d/b/a Westside Regional Medical Center), and Plantation General Hospital Limited Partnership (d/b/a Plantation General Hospital), Appellees.
    No. 4D03-3747.
    District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District.
    Dec. 17, 2003.
    Glenn J. Waldman of Waldman, Feluren & Trigoboff, P.A., Weston, for appellants.
    Edward J. Pozzuoli, Peter G. Herman and Stephanie Alexander of Tripp Scott, P.A., Fort Lauderdale for appellee HCA, Inc.
   ON MOTION TO STAY ARBITRATION

PENDING APPEAL

PER CURIAM.

Appellants, in this non-final appeal of an order requiring arbitration, seek review of the trial court’s order denying their motion to stay arbitration pending the outcome of this appeal. The only reason they give for staying arbitration is that the time and expense of arbitration will have been wasted if we reverse the order requiring arbitration.

Section 682.03(3), Florida Statutes (2003) provides that any action involving an issue subject to arbitration shall be stayed if arbitration has been ordered. It is thus our policy, as expressed by the legislature, that, once arbitration is ordered, arbitration proceeds and the lawsuit does not. The only reason advanced for staying the arbitration in this case, to save time and expense, would apply in every ease, and staying the arbitration for that reason would be contrary to section 682.03(3). We accordingly deny review of the order denying a stay pending appeal.

STONE, KLEIN and SHAHOOD, JJ., concur.  