The Florida Senate

455.694  Financial responsibility requirements for certain health care practitioners.--

(1)  As a prerequisite for licensure or license renewal, the Board of Acupuncture, the Board of Chiropractic Medicine, the Board of Podiatric Medicine, and the Board of Dentistry shall, by rule, require that all health care practitioners licensed under the respective board, and the Board of Nursing shall, by rule, require that advanced registered nurse practitioners certified under s. 464.012, and the department shall, by rule, require that midwives maintain medical malpractice insurance or provide proof of financial responsibility in an amount and in a manner determined by the board or department to be sufficient to cover claims arising out of the rendering of or failure to render professional care and services in this state.

(2)  The board or department may grant exemptions upon application by practitioners meeting any of the following criteria:

(a)  Any person licensed under chapter 457, chapter 460, chapter 461, s. 464.012, chapter 466, or chapter 467 who practices exclusively as an officer, employee, or agent of the Federal Government or of the state or its agencies or its subdivisions. For the purposes of this subsection, an agent of the state, its agencies, or its subdivisions is a person who is eligible for coverage under any self-insurance or insurance program authorized by the provisions of s. 768.28(15) or who is a volunteer under s. 110.501(1).

(b)  Any person whose license or certification has become inactive under chapter 457, chapter 460, chapter 461, chapter 464, chapter 466, or chapter 467 and who is not practicing in this state. Any person applying for reactivation of a license must show either that such licensee maintained tail insurance coverage which provided liability coverage for incidents that occurred on or after October 1, 1993, or the initial date of licensure in this state, whichever is later, and incidents that occurred before the date on which the license became inactive; or such licensee must submit an affidavit stating that such licensee has no unsatisfied medical malpractice judgments or settlements at the time of application for reactivation.

(c)  Any person holding a limited license pursuant to s. 455.561, and practicing under the scope of such limited license.

(d)  Any person licensed or certified under chapter 457, chapter 460, chapter 461, s. 464.012, chapter 466, or chapter 467 who practices only in conjunction with his or her teaching duties at an accredited school or in its main teaching hospitals. Such person may engage in the practice of medicine to the extent that such practice is incidental to and a necessary part of duties in connection with the teaching position in the school.

(e)  Any person holding an active license or certification under chapter 457, chapter 460, chapter 461, s. 464.012, chapter 466, or chapter 467 who is not practicing in this state. If such person initiates or resumes practice in this state, he or she must notify the department of such activity.

(f)  Any person who can demonstrate to the board or department that he or she has no malpractice exposure in the state.

(3)  Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the financial responsibility requirements of ss. 458.320 and 459.0085 shall continue to apply to practitioners licensed under those chapters.

History.--s. 1, ch. 93-41; s. 193, ch. 97-103; s. 90, ch. 97-261; s. 266, ch. 98-166; s. 88, ch. 99-397.

Note.--Former s. 455.2456.