How Do I Join?

YES! I wish to join my colleagues and participate in the PLAN initiative.

Date______________

Name: (please print) _______________________________________________________________________

Group:______________________________________________

Specialty: _______________________

Back line Phone _____________ or Cell Phone________________ Your Pager #_____________

Email___________________________

The best time to reach me for signing up with PLAN is _________________________

I am willing to see ________patients per month.

The following procedures are available in my office_____________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

Office Manager___________________

Contact person in office: ____________________________

Phone (if different from above)_______________________ext.______

Please have a participating PLAN physician contact me, I have a question regarding________________________.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Does PLAN Work?

• Upon your acceptance into PLAN of Collier County, you will be contacted by the PLAN patient care coordinator, who will meet with your office contact person. Our goal is to make your participation as seamless and transparent as possible for your staff and yourself. All coordination for labs, diagnostics, and additional specialty referrals is done by the PLAN patient care coordinator.
• Patients will be referred to you via the patient care coordinator on a rotational basis.
• You may also refer patients to the patient care coordinator for eligibility.
• Pharmacy assistance may be available.
• You will receive CME credit for your participation.

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

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 can contact the PLAN patient specialist or their enrollment site primary care provider to request an extension.

What if I think I have a patient who qualifies for PLAN?
Since you are already seeing PLAN patients who are being referred to you, you can call the PLAN Patient Care Specialist at 239-403-7791 and request a Patient Referral Request form (or download the PDF). Complete and fax to the PLAN office at 239-435-1297. Please note: it is the responsibility of your patient to contact the Patient Care Specialist directly to set up their own appointment for eligibility. Your referral request is a necessary step in the eligibility referral process.

Do patients pay for services?
NO. The Florida Sovereign Immunity statute that all PLAN Volunteer Providers are covered under strictly prohibits monies for service. If you should collect any monies for the services provided, the immunity will be voided. If you have any further questions about this, please contact the PLAN offices at 434-0008.

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 239-403-7791.

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 emergently 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. During the 2003-2004 reporting year, over 10,000 healthcare providers took advantage of the sovereign immunity protection that enabled them to donate over $120 million in services to Florida residents. There are currently more than 40 Volunteer Health Care Provider Programs operating throughout the state of Florida.

The Good Samaritan Law provides immunity from civil liability to physicians who provide uncompensated emergency care when the need arises as long as:
o Their actions are in good faith.
o They are not compensated.
o Their actions did not cause the emergency.
o 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.

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