The Florida Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Association pays the medically necessary expenses of children with specific birth-related neurological injuries. Academic research and stakeholders indicate mixed results regarding NICA's attainment of its statutory goals of lowering malpractice premiums for physicians practicing obstetrics and providing compensation, on a no-fault basis, for a limited class of catastrophic injuries.
To improve the program's ability to meet its statutory goals, NICA's eligibility requirements could be expanded. For example, the current birth weight requirement could be reduced from 2,500 to 2,000 grams, the requirement of mental and physical impairment could be changed to mental or physical impairment, and brachial plexus injuries could be covered. However, these options would increase annual costs between $9.5 million and $130.8 million. Expanding eligibility would require significant increases in hospital and participant fees and may require casualty insurers and exempt hospitals to begin contributing funds to the program.

Division of Administrative Hearings Method of Assessing Fees Needs Significant Revision
Report 02-70 December 2002

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