64W-6.005. Award Prioritization and Awards  


Effective on Thursday, February 15, 2024
  • 1(1) Applications for reimbursement or loan repayment will be prioritized in tiers, as described below.

    16(a) Tier 1 consists of eligible applicants who received an award in the previous state fiscal year.

    33(b) Tier 2 consists of eligible applicants who received an award in a prior state fiscal year, but not in the state fiscal year immediately preceding the application state fiscal year.

    64(c) Tier 3 consists of eligible applicants who have never received an award under this program

    80(2) Within each tier, applicants will be prioritized from highest to lowest by the following method:

    96(a) The FRAME99dental 100Prioritization Score will be calculated as a weighted total of 85% of the Adjusted Dental HPSA score, plus 15% of the Service Score, plus 10% of the percentage of the dentist’s practice that is composed of Medicaid patients.

    138(b) The Adjusted Dental HPSA Score will be computed by:

    1481. For only one practice location: 154(average weekly direct patient care hours for the month immediately preceding application, [DPCH] ÷ 40) x Dental HPSA Score [DHPSA]).

    1742. For multiple practice locations: each location will be scored individually using the above calculation and the results will be added together.

    196(c) The Service Score will be computed by (end date of application period – date of applicant’s first day with the employer) ÷ 100)). If the applicant currently works for multiple employers, the applicant’s longest employer’s start date will be used.

    237(d) The percentage of the dentist’s practice that is composed of Medicaid patients will be computed by (Medicaid Percentage (as a whole number) ÷ 10).

    262(e) The calculations set forth in paragraphs (2)(a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) above are illustrated in Figure 1 below.

    282Figure 1.

    284(3) All dental HPSA scores will be the score designated by HRSA that was applicable on January 15, or the next business day if the 15310th 311falls on a weekend or holiday. Any applicant working at a facility that is eligible to have its own dental HPSA score will use that facility’s dental HPSA score.

    340(4) Loan repayment funds will be disbursed directly to lenders.

    350(5) Payments made to a lender cannot exceed a recipient’s outstanding qualified principal loan balance.

    365(6) The department shall limit the number of Tier 3 dentists to not more than 10 per fiscal year, beginning in state fiscal year 2024-25.

    390(7) In the event that there are mathematical ties (to the eight decimal place) in the priority scores where funding will be exhausted, those applicants with a tied priority score will be funded in the following order of precedence:

    429(a) First, by the highest Adjusted Dental HPSA score as calculated in paragraph (2)(b). 443In the event this does not resolve the tied priority scores, 454then

    455(b) Second, by highest Medicaid Percentage.  In the event this does not resolve the tied priority scores, then

    473(c) The remaining amount of funding will be equally divided among the tied applicants.

    487(8) This rule will be reviewed and repealed, modified, or renewed through the rulemaking process 5 years from the effective date.

    508Rulemaking Authority 510381.4019 FS. 512Law Implemented 514381.4019 FS. 516History – New 2-15-24.