The Dental Student Loan Repayment Program is established to support the state Medicaid program and promote access to dental care by supporting qualified dentists and dental hygienists who treat medically underserved populations in dental health professional shortage areas or medically underserved areas.(1) As used in this section, the term:(a) “Dental health professional shortage area” means a geographic area designated as such by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
(b) “Department” means the Department of Health.
(c) “Free clinic” means a provider that meets the description of a clinic specified in s. 766.1115(3)(d)14. (d) “Loan program” means the Dental Student Loan Repayment Program.
(e) “Medically underserved area” means a geographic area, an area having a special population, or a facility which is designated by department rule as a health professional shortage area as defined by federal regulation and which has a shortage of dental health professionals who serve Medicaid recipients and other low-income patients.
(f) “Public health program” means a county health department, the Children’s Medical Services program, a federally funded community health center, a federally funded migrant health center, or other publicly funded or nonprofit health care program designated by the department.
(2) The department shall establish a dental student loan repayment program to benefit Florida-licensed dentists and dental hygienists who:(a) Demonstrate, as required by department rule, active employment in a public health program or private practice that serves Medicaid recipients and other low-income patients and is located in a dental health professional shortage area or a medically underserved area; and
(b) Volunteer 25 hours per year providing dental services in a free clinic that is located in a dental health professional shortage area or a medically underserved area, through another volunteer program operated by the state pursuant to part IV of chapter 110, or through a pro bono program approved by the Board of Dentistry. In order to meet the requirements of this paragraph, the volunteer hours must be verifiable in a manner determined by the department.
(3) The department shall award funds from the loan program to repay the student loans of a dentist or dental hygienist who meets the requirements of subsection (2).(a) An award shall be 20 percent of a dentist’s or dental hygienist’s principal loan amount at the time he or she applied for the program but may not exceed $50,000 per year per eligible dentist or $7,500 per year per eligible dental hygienist.
(b) Only loans to pay the costs of tuition, books, dental equipment and supplies, uniforms, and living expenses may be covered.
(c) All repayments are contingent upon continued proof of eligibility and must be made directly to the holder of the loan. The state bears no responsibility for the collection of any interest charges or other remaining balances.
(d) A dentist or dental hygienist may receive up to a maximum of 5 awards pursuant to paragraph (a), one award for each year he or she maintains eligibility for the program for the entire year. Such awards are not required to be awarded in consecutive years, and, if a dentist or dental hygienist loses eligibility pursuant to subsection (4) for the current year, he or she may reapply for the program in a future year once he or she has regained eligibility.
(4) A dentist or dental hygienist is not eligible to receive funds under the loan program if the dentist or dental hygienist:(a) Is no longer employed by a public health program or private practice that meets the requirements of subsection (2) or does not verify, in a manner determined by the department, that he or she has volunteered his or her dental services for the required number of hours.
(b) Ceases to participate in the Florida Medicaid program.
(c) Has disciplinary action taken against his or her license by the Board of Dentistry for a violation of s. 466.028. (5) A dentist or dental hygienist who receives payment under the program shall furnish information requested by the department for the purpose of the department’s duties under s. 381.4021. (6) The department shall adopt rules to administer the loan program.
(7) Implementation of the loan program is subject to legislative appropriation.
(8) The Agency for Health Care Administration shall seek federal authority to use Title XIX matching funds for this program.
(9) Any payments made under this section and subsequently returned by a financial institution to the department may be deposited into the Grants and Donations Trust Fund to be used for the same purpose. Notwithstanding ss. 216.181 and 216.292, the department may submit budget amendments, subject to the notice, review, and objection procedures of s. 216.177, to increase budget authority to make payments under this section. (10) This section is repealed on July 1, 2034.
