1. (1) Applications for reimbursement or loan repayment will be prioritized in tiers, as described below.

   1. (a) Tier 1 consists of eligible applicants who are Florida residents and received an award in the previous state fiscal year.
   2. (b) Tier 2 consists of eligible applicants who are Florida residents and received an award in a prior state fiscal year, but not in the state fiscal year immediately preceding the application state fiscal year.
   3. (c) Tier 3 consists of eligible applicants who are Florida residents and have never received an award under this program.
   4. (d) Tier 4 consists of eligible applicants who are not Florida residents.

2. (2) Within each tier, applicants will be prioritized from highest to lowest by the following method:

   1. (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 (as a whole number, not a percentage), plus the Recruitment Factor, if eligible.

   2. (b) The Adjusted Dental HPSA Score will be computed by:

      1. For only one practice location: (average weekly direct patient care hours provided, [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.

   3. (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.
   4. (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).
   5. (e) The Recruitment Factor is an additional 2.5 points added to the score if the eligible applicant began providing services for their employer in a HPSA after the beginning of the same state fiscal year as the application period. For all others the Recruitment Factor is 0.

   6. (f) The calculations set forth in paragraphs (2)(a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) above are illustrated in Figure 1 below.

      Figure 1.

      ((((DPCH/40) × DHPSA Score) × .85) + ((Longest Employment by Days / 100) × .15) + (Medicaid Percentage / 10) + Recruitment Factor)

3. (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. If the facility does not have a dental HPSA designation, it is not an eligible location.
4. (4) Loan repayment funds will be disbursed directly to lenders.
5. (5) Payments made to a lender cannot exceed a recipient’s outstanding qualified principal loan balance.

6. (6) 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:

   1. (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
   2. (b) Second, by highest Medicaid Percentage. In the event this does not resolve the tied priority scores, then
   3. (c) The remaining amount of funding will be equally divided among the tied applicants.
7. (7) All applicants who are prioritized to receive an award will be notified in writing via email to the email address designated in their FRAMEdental Application. Such applicants must confirm the award in the FRAMEworks portal located at https://www.fdohframe.com/s/ within fifteen calendar days of the date the notice is sent. Any applicant that does not confirm their award within the required timeframe will be ineligible to receive an award. Should any awards be declined or become ineligible based on non-responsiveness, the next prioritized applicants will be eligible for an award and upon email notification must confirm such award pursuant to this subsection.
8. (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. History – New 2-15-24, Amended 5-21-25.