How do I become a member of PLAN?

Complete the volunteer services application. On this application you will be able to communicate your preference for services you will provide and the number of patients you will attempt to see in a particular timeframe. This application is sent to the Volunteer Health Care Provider Program for approval and then to the Florida Department of Health. It is not a contract.

I’ve been notified that I have been approved. What happens next?

Upon your acceptance into PLAN of Collier County, patients will be referred to you via PLAN’s Patient Care Coordinator on a rotational basis.

You may also refer patients to the Patient Care Coordinator for eligibility.

Does my staff need training?

Our goal is to make your participation as seamless and transparent as possible for you and your staff. A PLAN Patient Care Coordinator will meet with you and/or your staff to review PLAN’s referral procedures and to explain how all coordination for labs, diagnostics, and additional specialty referrals is done by the PLAN Patient Care Coordinator.

Who is eligible for PLAN services?

PLAN is open to any Collier County resident – U.S. citizenship is not required. The patient cannot have health insurance of any kind. The program also excludes people eligible for Medicaid, Medicare or VA Benefits. People with an income greater than 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, for their household size, are not eligible for PLAN.

What if I think I have a patient who qualifies for PLAN?

• Only members of PLAN may refer patients to the program.
• Your office completes the Patient Referral Request and returns it to us as instructed on the form. Your referral request is a necessary step in the eligibility referral process.
• Tell the patient that you are recommending him/her for qualification with PLAN. Then, instruct the patient to contact PLAN directly to set up his/her own appointment for eligibility.

How long can patients be in the program?

A patient’s eligibility expires 12 months from the day of enrollment. On or before that date, a patient may contact the PLAN Patient Care Coordinator or his enrollment site primary care provider to request an extension.

Do patients pay for services?

NO. All PLAN Volunteer Providers are covered under the Florida Sovereign Immunity statute that strictly prohibits charging for service. If a physician collects any money for the services provided, the immunity will be voided. If you have any further questions about this, please contact us at (239) 776-3016.

What about lab or radiological services?

If you are able to provide these services in your office, please consider donating them to PLAN. Otherwise, complete the Referral Request Form and fax it to the PLAN Patient Care Specialist at (239) 435-1297.

What if a patient needs services that I don’t provide?

Contact the PLAN Patient Care Specialist at (239) 776-3016.

What is standard procedure for an ER visit or admittance?

PLAN does not cover ER visits. If a patient has an emergency or needs to be admitted to the hospital after normal business hours, the patient should go to the nearest ER and the hospital will provide treatment by following its normal charity care procedure.

What are the malpractice implications of volunteering?

Three laws protect physicians in volunteer capacities: the Florida Healthcare Access Act of 1992,” the federal “Good Samaritan Law,” and the federal “Volunteer Protection Act of 1997.”

In 1992, the Florida Legislature passed Florida Statute 766.1115, the Health Care Access Act, which created the Volunteer Health Care Provider Program. The Florida Medical Association and the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services cooperated to create a statute that would allow a health care provider that treated an income eligible client without remuneration to utilize the Department’s sovereign immunity protection rather than rely on his/her own malpractice insurance.

The Good Samaritan Law provides immunity from civil liability to physicians who provide uncompensated emergency care when the need arises as long as:

• Their actions are in good faith.
• They are not compensated.
• Their actions did not cause the emergency.
• They are not the admitting physician or associated physician treating the patient.

The Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 protects volunteers from liability abuses in order to promote the interests of nonprofit organizations.