64W-4.002. Eligibility Requirements

(1) To be eligible to receive reimbursement or loan repayment from the program, applicants in eligible professions, other than autonomous APRNs, must:

(a) Be a United States citizen (U.S. born or naturalized) or a United States national, as defined by 8 U.S.C. §1401 – 1440 (1/3/2022), which is incorporated by reference and available at http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-15267,

(b) Possess a clear active Florida health care professional license,

(c) Provide in-person services to persons in an underserved location in Florida,

(d) Not have received an award from any other State of Florida-funded student loan repayment program since July 1 of the previous year,

(e) Have a qualified loan as defined in subsection 64W-4.001(6) F.A.C.,

(f) Accept Medicaid reimbursement unless the practice is not eligible. The only Medicaid ineligible practices are correctional institutions; military locations, including Veteran Affairs clinics; state mental health hospitals; free clinics; and state facilities for the developmentally disabled,

(g) Be employed in an eligible location, which employment must be in effect on the first day of the application period and extend, at a minimum, through the date of loan repayment, pursuant to Rule 64W-4.005, and

(h) Have a valid email address for program correspondence.

(2) To be eligible to receive reimbursement or loan repayment from the program, autonomous APRN applicants must:

(a) Be a United States citizen (U.S. born or naturalized) or a United States national, as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1401 - 1440, which is incorporated by reference and available at http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-15267,

(b) Possess a clear active Florida health care professional license,

(c) Not have received an award from any other State of Florida-funded student loan repayment program since July 1 of the previous year,

(d) Have a qualified loan as defined in subsection 64W-4.001(6) F.A.C.,

(e) Have active employment providing in-person primary care services in a public health program, an independent practice, or a group practice that serves Medicaid recipients and other low-income patients,

1. Proof of serving Medicaid recipients must include verifiable Medicaid billing.

2. Proof of serving other low-income patients must include documentation that the practice location has a sliding fee scale or does not charge the patients (free clinic).

(f) Practice in a location that is in a HRSA designated primary care HPSA with a score of at least 18, a rural area as identified by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, or a rural hospital as defined in Section 395.602(2)(b), F.S.,

(g) Practice in a primary care specialty as defined in subsection 64W-4.001(4) F.A.C., and

(h) Have a valid email address for program correspondence.

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

Rulemaking Authority 1009.65 FS. Law Implemented 1009.65 FS. History–New 4-20-23, Amended 2-15-24.