Florida Veteran Health Heroes

Page 9 ARMED FORCES Armed Forces Health Care Licensing Supp rt Services The Florida Department of Health is committed to honoring veterans, members of the military, and their families. We are sensitive to the many challenges military families face when required to relocate. Florida Veterans Application for Licensure Online Response System (VALOR) With the beginning of fiscal year 2014-2015, Florida lawmakers expanded the program as part of the Florida GI Bill, extending the fee waiver period to 60 months after honorable discharge and including military spouses. If you are a military veteran seeking licensure in a health care profession, Florida offers expedited licensure processing. In order to qualify, you must apply for the license six months before or six months after your honorable discharge from the United States Armed Forces. There is no application fee, licensure fee, or unlicensed activity fee for veterans who qualify for this type of license. Military Veteran Fee Waiver If you are a military veteran, you may be eligible for a waiver of the initial application and licensure fees for all health care professions. Your application must be submitted within 60 months of discharge from any branch of the United States Armed Forces. The initial license fee, initial application fee, and initial unlicensed activity fee will be waived for veterans returning from service. This waiver does not include examination fees. Reimbursement for Veterans’ Professional Examination Costs The Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs will reimburse eligible applicants for the cost of licensing and certification examinations, not to exceed $2,000 per test. These licensing and certification examinations must be generally deemed necessary to pursue a trade or profession. Please see http://www.fdva.org/saa/LiCert.asp for potential reimbursement for examination costs. Temporary Certificate to Practice in an Area of Critical Need If you are an active duty member of military veteran who served at least 10 years in the United States Armed Forces, you may be eligible to practice in an area of critical need. This certificate limits you to practice in designated areas of critical need, and is only available to physicians who have a license in another jurisdiction of the United States. There is no application fee for physicians seeking this certificate. This certificate is not limited to physicians who will not receive compensation for their service.