In addition to the licensure requirements specified in this part, authorizing statutes, and applicable rules, each applicant and licensee must comply with the requirements of this section in order to obtain and maintain a license.

(1) An applicant for licensure must comply with the background screening requirements of s. 408.809.
(2) An applicant for licensure must provide a description and explanation of any exclusions, suspensions, or terminations of the applicant from the Medicare, Medicaid, or federal Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) programs.
(3) Unless otherwise specified in this part, authorizing statutes, or applicable rules, any information required to be reported to the agency must be submitted within 21 calendar days after the report period or effective date of the information, whichever is earlier, including, but not limited to, any change of:

(a) Information contained in the most recent application for licensure.

Attorney's Note

Under the Florida Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
misdemeanor of the second degreeup to 60 daysup to $500
For details, see Fla. Stat. § 775.082(4)(b)

Terms Used In Florida Statutes 408.810

  • Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
  • Agency: means the Agency for Health Care Administration, which is the licensing agency under this part. See Florida Statutes 408.803
  • Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
  • Applicant: means an individual, corporation, partnership, firm, association, or governmental entity that submits an application for a license to the agency. See Florida Statutes 408.803
  • Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
  • Change of ownership: means :
    (a) An event in which the licensee sells or otherwise transfers its ownership to a different individual or entity as evidenced by a change in federal employer identification number or taxpayer identification number; or
    (b) An event in which 51 percent or more of the ownership, shares, membership, or controlling interest of a licensee is in any manner transferred or otherwise assigned. See Florida Statutes 408.803
  • Client: means any person receiving services from a provider listed in…. See Florida Statutes 408.803
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Controlling interest: means :
    (a) The applicant or licensee;
    (b) A person or entity that serves as an officer of, is on the board of directors of, or has a 5-percent or greater ownership interest in the applicant or licensee; or
    (c) A person or entity that serves as an officer of, is on the board of directors of, or has a 5-percent or greater ownership interest in the management company or other entity, related or unrelated, with which the applicant or licensee contracts to manage the provider. See Florida Statutes 408.803
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Foreclosure: A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default. Source: OCC
  • Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
  • Health care provider: means a health care professional licensed under chapter 458, chapter 459, chapter 460, chapter 461, chapter 463, chapter 464, chapter 465, chapter 466, part I, part III, part IV, part V, or part X of chapter 468, chapter 483, chapter 484, chapter 486, chapter 490, or chapter 491. See Florida Statutes 408.07
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • License: means any permit, registration, certificate, or license issued by the agency. See Florida Statutes 408.803
  • Licensee: means an individual, corporation, partnership, firm, association, governmental entity, or other entity that is issued a permit, registration, certificate, or license by the agency. See Florida Statutes 408.803
  • person: includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
  • Personal property: All property that is not real property.
  • Provider: means any activity, service, agency, or facility regulated by the agency and listed in…. See Florida Statutes 408.803
  • Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
  • Relative: means an individual who is the father, mother, stepfather, stepmother, son, daughter, brother, sister, grandmother, grandfather, great-grandmother, great-grandfather, grandson, granddaughter, uncle, aunt, first cousin, nephew, niece, husband, wife, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother, stepsister, half brother, or half sister of a patient or client. See Florida Statutes 408.803
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
(b) Required insurance or bonds.
(4) Whenever a licensee discontinues operation of a provider:

(a) The licensee must inform the agency not less than 30 days prior to the discontinuance of operation and inform clients of such discontinuance as required by authorizing statutes. Immediately upon discontinuance of operation by a provider, the licensee shall surrender the license to the agency and the license shall be canceled.
(b) The licensee shall remain responsible for retaining and appropriately distributing all records within the timeframes prescribed in authorizing statutes and applicable rules. In addition, the licensee or, in the event of death or dissolution of a licensee, the estate or agent of the licensee shall:

1. Make arrangements to forward records for each client to one of the following, based upon the client’s choice: the client or the client’s legal representative, the client’s attending physician, or the health care provider where the client currently receives services; or
2. Cause a notice to be published in the newspaper of greatest general circulation in the county in which the provider was located that advises clients of the discontinuance of the provider operation. The notice must inform clients that they may obtain copies of their records and specify the name, address, and telephone number of the person from whom the copies of records may be obtained. The notice must appear at least once a week for 4 consecutive weeks.
(5)(a) On or before the first day services are provided to a client, a licensee must inform the client and his or her immediate family or representative, if appropriate, of the right to report:

1. Complaints. The statewide toll-free telephone number for reporting complaints to the agency must be provided to clients in a manner that is clearly legible and must include the words: “To report a complaint regarding the services you receive, please call toll-free (phone number).”
2. Abusive, neglectful, or exploitative practices. The statewide toll-free telephone number for the central abuse hotline must be provided to clients in a manner that is clearly legible and must include the words: “To report abuse, neglect, or exploitation, please call toll-free (phone number).”
3. Medicaid fraud. An agency-written description of Medicaid fraud and the statewide toll-free telephone number for the central Medicaid fraud hotline must be provided to clients in a manner that is clearly legible and must include the words: “To report suspected Medicaid fraud, please call toll-free (phone number).”

The agency shall publish a minimum of a 90-day advance notice of a change in the toll-free telephone numbers.

(b) Each licensee shall establish appropriate policies and procedures for providing such notice to clients.
(6) An applicant must provide the agency with proof of the applicant’s legal right to occupy the property before a license may be issued. Proof may include, but need not be limited to, copies of warranty deeds, lease or rental agreements, contracts for deeds, quitclaim deeds, or other such documentation.
(7) If proof of insurance is required by the authorizing statute, that insurance must be in compliance with chapter 624, chapter 626, chapter 627, or chapter 628 and with agency rules.
(8) Upon application for initial licensure or change of ownership licensure, the applicant shall furnish satisfactory proof of the applicant’s financial ability to operate in accordance with the requirements of this part, authorizing statutes, and applicable rules. The agency shall establish standards for this purpose, including information concerning the applicant’s controlling interests. The agency shall also establish documentation requirements, to be completed by each applicant, that show anticipated provider revenues and expenditures, the basis for financing the anticipated cash-flow requirements of the provider, and an applicant’s access to contingency financing. A current certificate of authority, pursuant to chapter 651, may be provided as proof of financial ability to operate. The agency may require a licensee to provide proof of financial ability to operate at any time if there is evidence of financial instability, including, but not limited to, unpaid expenses necessary for the basic operations of the provider. An applicant applying for change of ownership licensure is exempt from furnishing proof of financial ability to operate if the provider has been licensed for at least 5 years, and:

(a) The ownership change is a result of a corporate reorganization under which the controlling interest is unchanged and the applicant submits organizational charts that represent the current and proposed structure of the reorganized corporation; or
(b) The ownership change is due solely to the death of a person holding a controlling interest, and the surviving controlling interests continue to hold at least 51 percent of ownership after the change of ownership.
(9) A controlling interest may not withhold from the agency any evidence of financial instability, including, but not limited to, checks returned due to insufficient funds, delinquent accounts, nonpayment of withholding taxes, unpaid utility expenses, nonpayment for essential services, or adverse court action concerning the financial viability of the provider or any other provider licensed under this part that is under the control of the controlling interest. A controlling interest shall notify the agency within 10 days after a court action to initiate bankruptcy, foreclosure, or eviction proceedings concerning the provider in which the controlling interest is a petitioner or defendant. Any person who violates this subsection commits a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. Each day of continuing violation is a separate offense.
(10) The agency may not issue a license to a health care provider subject to the certificate-of-need provisions in part I of this chapter if the health care provider has not been issued a certificate of need or an exemption. Upon initial licensure of any such provider, the authorization contained in the certificate of need shall be considered fully implemented and merged into the license and shall have no force and effect upon termination of the license for any reason.
(11) The agency may adopt rules that govern the circumstances under which a controlling interest, an administrator, an employee, or a contractor, or a representative thereof, who is not a relative of the client may act as an agent of the client in authorizing consent for medical treatment, assignment of benefits, and release of information. Such rules may include requirements related to disclosure, bonding, restrictions, and client protections.
(12) The licensee shall ensure that no person holds any ownership interest, either directly or indirectly, regardless of ownership structure, who:

(a) Has a disqualifying offense pursuant to s. 408.809; or
(b) Holds or has held any ownership interest, either directly or indirectly, regardless of ownership structure, in a provider that had a license revoked or an application denied pursuant to s. 408.815.
(13) If the licensee is a publicly traded corporation or is wholly owned, directly or indirectly, by a publicly traded corporation, subsection (12) does not apply to those persons whose sole relationship with the corporation is as a shareholder of publicly traded shares. As used in this subsection, a “publicly traded corporation” is a corporation that issues securities traded on an exchange registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission as a national securities exchange.
(14) The licensee must sign an affidavit at the time of his or her initial application for a license and on any renewal applications thereafter that attests under penalty of perjury that he or she is in compliance with s. 408.051(3). The licensee must remain in compliance with s. 408.051(3) or the licensee shall be subject to disciplinary action by the agency.
(15)(a) The licensee must ensure that a person or entity who possesses a controlling interest does not hold, either directly or indirectly, regardless of ownership structure, an interest in an entity that has a business relationship with a foreign country of concern or that is subject to s. 287.135.
(b) For purposes of this subsection, the term:

1. “Business relationship” means engaging in commerce in any form, including, but not limited to, acquiring, developing, maintaining, owning, selling, possessing, leasing, or operating equipment, facilities, personnel, products, services, personal property, real property, military equipment, or any other apparatus of business or commerce.
2. “Foreign country of concern” has the same meaning as in s. 692.201.
3. “Interest” has the same meaning as in s. 286.101(1).
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