Current through Reg. 50, No. 187; September 24, 2024
(1)
Applications for reimbursement or loan repayment will be prioritized in tiers,
as described below.
(a) Tier 1 consists of
eligible applicants who received an award in the previous state fiscal
year.
(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.
(c) Tier 3 consists of
eligible applicants who have never received an award under this
program
(2) Within each
tier, applicants will be prioritized from highest to lowest by the following
method:
(a) The
FRAMEdental Prioritization 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.
(b)
The Adjusted Dental HPSA Score will be computed by:
1. For only one practice location: (average
weekly direct patient care hours for the month immediately preceding
application, [DPCH] ÷ 40) x Dental HPSA Score [DHPSA]).
2. For multiple practice locations: each
location will be scored individually using the above calculation and the
results will be added together.
(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.
(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).
(e) The calculations set forth in paragraphs
(2)(a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) above are illustrated in Figure 1 below.
Figure 1.
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here to view image
(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 15th falls 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.
(4) Loan repayment funds will be disbursed
directly to lenders.
(5) Payments
made to a lender cannot exceed a recipient's outstanding qualified principal
loan balance.
(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.
(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:
(a) First, by
the highest Adjusted Dental HPSA score as calculated in paragraph (2)(b). In
the event this does not resolve the tied priority scores, then
(b) Second, by highest Medicaid Percentage.
In the event this does not resolve the tied priority scores, then
(c) The remaining amount of funding will be
equally divided among the tied applicants.
(8) This rule will be reviewed and repealed,
modified, or renewed through the rulemaking process 5 years from the effective
date.
Rulemaking Authority 381.4019 FS. Law Implemented 381.4019
FS.
New 2-15-24.
