Physician Loan Assistance Program Launches Feb. 1
By FMA Regulatory Staff Report | January 25, 2023
Great news for physicians: On Feb. 1, the state Department of Health will launch the Florida Reimbursement Assistance for Medical Education (FRAME) Program to assist eligible healthcare practitioners with the repayment of medical education student loans. The FMA secured an annual appropriation of nearly $6.6 million for the FRAME Program during the 2022 Legislative Session.

Here’s what you need to know:

General Eligibility
While the FRAME Program was established in 2002, the Florida Legislature had never funded the program for physicians until now. The FMA believes that this type of incentive program will help to alleviate physician shortages in underserved communities, encourage more physicians to practice family and general medicine, and promote team-based medicine in rural communities.
  • Payment: Eligible physicians and residents will be able to apply for up to $20,000 per year to offset student loan debts.
  • Eligible specialties: Physicians with a clear and active Florida license engaged in the practice of primary care, which includes obstetrics, gynecology, general and family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, and psychiatry.
  • Eligible practice locations: All payments are contingent on continued proof of primary care practice in an underserved area designated by the Department of Health, provided the practitioner, or practitioner’s employer, accepts Medicaid reimbursement if eligible for such reimbursement. This includes correctional facilities, state hospitals, and other state institutions. The Department will utilize the HRSA Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations to identify areas of unmet needs. Please visit HRSA’s HPSA Find Tool to determine the potential eligibility of service location(s).

Application Process
The Department will accept applications through the FRAMEworks Portal, which will open on Wednesday, Feb. 1, and run through Friday, March 31, 2023. Applications will be evaluated, and selections will be made on or before June 1, 2023. The required submission forms are below:

  • FRAME Application
  • FRAME Loan Certification Form
  • FRAME Employment Verification Form
  • FRAME Solo Practitioner Attestation

    • Please note: The FRAME Loan Certification and Employment Verification Forms will need to be sent to your educational loan lender and employer and then uploaded to the FRAMEworks Portal. The remaining application forms can be completed directly in the FRAMEworks Portal once the application window opens. Don’t wait to apply! Make sure to provide the required forms to your educational loan lender and employer as soon as possible to avoid delays in submission.

    Applications may also be submitted via mail to:
    FRAME Program
    4052 Bald Cypress Way
    Bin A-05
    Tallahassee, FL 32399

    Additional Resources
    Visit the Department of Health’s Florida Reimbursement Assistance for Medical Education Program (FRAME) website, which provides information regarding eligibility for physicians and other healthcare practitioners, the application process, FAQs, and information on additional assistance programs.

    To read the implementing statute, please see Florida Statute §1009.65.

    Contact Information
    To contact FRAME Program administrators, email FRAME@flhealth.gov or call (850) 245-4009.

    If you are an FMA member with questions or concerns regarding the FRAME Program, please contact our Membership Department at membership@flmedical.org or (850) 224-6496 so that we can assist you.