Florida Senate - 2022 SB 1442 By Senator Jones 35-00022A-22 20221442__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to the Medical Education Reimbursement 3 and Loan Repayment Program; amending s. 1009.65, F.S.; 4 revising the purpose of the program; expanding 5 eligibility criteria for the program to include 6 certain practice areas; requiring practitioners to 7 provide specified proof of eligibility to receive 8 payments under the program; providing an effective 9 date. 10 11 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12 13 Section 1.Subsection (1) of section 1009.65, Florida 14 Statutes, is amended to read: 15 1009.65Medical Education Reimbursement and Loan Repayment 16 Program. 17 (1)To encourage qualified medical professionals to 18 practice in underserved locations where there are shortages of 19 such personnel and to provide primary care to racial and ethnic 20 minority populations that experience health disparities due to 21 limited access to quality health care, there is established the 22 Medical Education Reimbursement and Loan Repayment Program. The 23 function of the program is to make payments that offset loans 24 and educational expenses incurred by students for studies 25 leading to a medical or nursing degree, medical or nursing 26 licensure, or advanced practice registered nurse licensure or 27 physician assistant licensure. The following licensed or 28 certified health care professionals are eligible to participate 29 in this program: 30 (a)Medical doctors with primary care specialties, doctors 31 of osteopathic medicine with primary care specialties, physician 32 assistants, licensed practical nurses and registered nurses, and 33 advanced practice registered nurses with primary care 34 specialties such as certified nurse midwives. Primary care 35 medical specialties for physicians include obstetrics, 36 gynecology, general and family practice, internal medicine, 37 pediatrics, and other specialties which may be identified by the 38 Department of Health. From the funds available, the Department 39 of Health shall make payments as follows: 40 1.Up to $4,000 per year for licensed practical nurses and 41 registered nurses, up to $10,000 per year for advanced practice 42 registered nurses and physician assistants, and up to $20,000 43 per year for physicians. Penalties for noncompliance shall be 44 the same as those in the National Health Services Corps Loan 45 Repayment Program. Educational expenses include costs for 46 tuition, matriculation, registration, books, laboratory and 47 other fees, other educational costs, and reasonable living 48 expenses as determined by the Department of Health. 49 2.All payments are contingent on continued proof of 50 primary care practice in an area defined in s. 395.602(2)(b), or 51 an underserved area designated by the Department of Health or 52 continued proof of serving racial or ethnic minority 53 populations, provided the practitioner accepts Medicaid 54 reimbursement if eligible for such reimbursement. Correctional 55 facilities, state hospitals, and other state institutions that 56 employ medical personnel shall be designated by the Department 57 of Health as underserved locations. Locations with high 58 incidences of infant mortality, high morbidity, or low Medicaid 59 participation by health care professionals may be designated as 60 underserved. To receive payments under the program for serving 61 racial and ethnic minority populations, the practitioner must 62 provide proof that at least 50 percent of his or her primary 63 care patient population consists of racial or ethnic minorities 64 in this state. 65 (b)Advanced practice registered nurses registered to 66 engage in autonomous practice under s. 464.0123 and practicing 67 in the primary care specialties of family medicine, general 68 pediatrics, general internal medicine, or midwifery. From the 69 funds available, the Department of Health shall make payments of 70 up to $15,000 per year to advanced practice registered nurses 71 registered under s. 464.0123 who demonstrate, as required by 72 department rule, active employment providing primary care 73 services to racial or ethnic minority populations or in a public 74 health program, an independent practice, or a group practice 75 that serves Medicaid recipients and other low-income patients 76 and that is located in a primary care health professional 77 shortage area. Only loans to pay the costs of tuition, books, 78 medical equipment and supplies, uniforms, and living expenses 79 may be covered. To receive payments under the program for 80 serving racial and ethnic minority populations, the advanced 81 practice registered nurse must provide proof that at least 50 82 percent of his or her primary care patient population consists 83 of racial or ethnic minorities in this state. For the purposes 84 of this paragraph: 85 1.Primary care health professional shortage area means a 86 geographic area, an area having a special population, or a 87 facility with a score of at least 18, as designated and 88 calculated by the Federal Health Resources and Services 89 Administration or a rural area as defined by the Federal Office 90 of Rural Health Policy. 91 2.Public health program means a county health 92 department, the Childrens Medical Services program, a federally 93 funded community health center, a federally funded migrant 94 health center, or any other publicly funded or nonprofit health 95 care program designated by the department. 96 Section 2.This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.