HB 657 2022
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb0657-00
Page 1 of 4
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to the Medical Education Reimbursement 2
and Loan Repayment Program; amending s. 1009.65, F.S.; 3
revising the purpose of the program; expanding 4
eligibility criteria for the program to include 5
certain practice areas; providing an effective date. 6
7
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 8
9
Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 1009.65, Florida 10
Statutes, is amended to read: 11
1009.65 Medical Education Reimbursement and Loan Repayment 12
Program.— 13
(1) To encourage qualified medical professionals to 14
practice in underserved locations where there are shortages of 15
such personnel and to provide primary care to racial and ethnic 16
minority populations that experience health disparities due to 17
limited access to quality health care , there is established the 18
Medical Education Reimbursement and Loan Repayment Program. The 19
function of the program is to make payments that offset loans 20
and educational expenses incurred by students for studies 21
leading to a medical or nursing degree, medical or nursing 22
licensure, or advanced practice registered nurse licensure or 23
physician assistant licensure. The following licensed or 24
certified health care professi onals are eligible to participate 25
HB 657 2022
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb0657-00
Page 2 of 4
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
in this program: 26
(a) Medical doctors with primary care specialties, doctors 27
of osteopathic medicine with primary care specialties, physician 28
assistants, licensed practical nurses and registered nurses, and 29
advanced practice registered nurses with primary care 30
specialties such as certified nurse midwives. Primary care 31
medical specialties for physicians include obstetrics, 32
gynecology, general and family practice, internal medicine, 33
pediatrics, and other specialties which ma y be identified by the 34
Department of Health. From the funds available, the Department 35
of Health shall make payments as follows: 36
1. Up to $4,000 per year for licensed practical nurses and 37
registered nurses, up to $10,000 per year for advanced practice 38
registered nurses and physician assistants, and up to $20,000 39
per year for physicians. Penalties for noncompliance shall be 40
the same as those in the National Health Services Corps Loan 41
Repayment Program. Educational expenses include costs for 42
tuition, matriculation, registration, books, laboratory and 43
other fees, other educational costs, and reasonable living 44
expenses as determined by the Department of Health. 45
2. All payments are contingent on continued proof of 46
primary care practice in an area defined in s. 395.602(2)(b), or 47
an underserved area designated by the Department of Health or 48
continued proof of serving racial or ethnic minority 49
populations, provided the practitioner accepts Medicaid 50
HB 657 2022
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb0657-00
Page 3 of 4
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
reimbursement if eligible for such reimbursement. Correctional 51
facilities, state hospitals, and other state institutions that 52
employ medical personnel shall be designated by the Department 53
of Health as underserved locations. Locations with high 54
incidences of infant mortality, high morbidity, or low Medicaid 55
participation by health care professionals may be designated as 56
underserved. To receive payments under the program for serving 57
racial and ethnic minority populations, the practitioner must 58
provide proof that at least 50 percent of his or her primary 59
care patient population consists of racial or ethnic minorities 60
in this state. 61
(b) Advanced practice registered nurses registered to 62
engage in autonomous practice under s. 464.0123 and practicing 63
in the primary care specialties of family medicine, general 64
pediatrics, general internal medicine, or midwifery. From the 65
funds available, the Department of Health shall make payments of 66
up to $15,000 per year to advanced practice registered nurses 67
registered under s. 464.0123 who demonstrate, as required by 68
department rule, active employment providing primary care 69
services to racial or ethnic minority populations or in a public 70
health program, an independent practice, or a group practice 71
that serves Medicaid recipients and other low -income patients 72
and that is located in a primary care health professional 73
shortage area. Only loans to pay the costs of tuition, books, 74
medical equipment and supplies, uniforms, and living expenses 75
HB 657 2022
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb0657-00
Page 4 of 4
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
may be covered. To receive payments under the program for 76
serving racial and ethnic minority populations, t he advanced 77
practice registered nurse must provide proof that at least 50 78
percent of his or her primary care patient population consists 79
of racial or ethnic minorities in this state. For the purposes 80
of this paragraph: 81
1. "Primary care health professiona l shortage area" means 82
a geographic area, an area having a special population, or a 83
facility with a score of at least 18, as designated and 84
calculated by the Federal Health Resources and Services 85
Administration or a rural area as defined by the Federal Off ice 86
of Rural Health Policy. 87
2. "Public health program" means a county health 88
department, the Children's Medical Services program, a federally 89
funded community health center, a federally funded migrant 90
health center, or any other publicly funded or nonpro fit health 91
care program designated by the department. 92
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022. 93