Nurse registries (NR) are – in our opinion – a less expensive and cumbersome mechanism for providing long-term care in Florida. In a nutshell, a NR is just like a home health agency. The only exceptions are they:
• Do not employ direct care providers; they are all independent contractors.
• Cannot be reimbursed by Medicare.
The requirements to open NR in Florida are fairly simple:
• An administrator is needed to run the NR’s daily operations, and a Financial Officer is needed to oversee the financial affairs of the company.
• The application requires financial projections which are consistent with the applicant’s business plan. The financial projections show evidence of sufficient funds for start up, working capital and funding contingencies. The financial schedules provide calculations to determine the capital requirements to sustain the start-up NR.
• Policies and procedures for operating within the State of Florida’s guidelines.
NRs do not require accreditation although this can be a competitive advantage in today’s crowded marketplace. And NRs have less marketing restrictions than HHAs.