Insurance Companies Acting As Barrier to Care in Limiting Small Clinic Participation
There are growing reports from Nurse Practitioners and small business owners across Florida that some health insurers are creating barriers for Autonomous Nurse Practitioners to participate in the insurance programs as primary care providers.
In August and September 2025, several Florida nurse practitioner (NP) groups issued a “call to action” regarding insurance companies terminating contracts with NP-owned clinics across the state of Florida. These terminations are disproportionally impacting rural and underserved communities.
According to the Florida Nurse Practitioner Network (FNPN), these terminations affect independent practices and are occurring without clear cause, impacting patient access to care.
Key issues identified by Florida NP groups include:
- Contract terminations: The FNPN and other organizations are gathering data on contract terminations by insurers, particularly affecting small, NP-owned clinics.
- Denials of credentialing: Along with terminations, NPs report denials of new credentialing applications from insurance companies.
- Targeting of independent clinics: The LinkedIn post from Logan Andrews notes that insurers are “singling out small business healthcare clinics” run by Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs).
- Lack of legal protection: NP advocacy groups have highlighted the lack of legislative protection for NP business owners against such insurance company actions.
In response, the Florida Coalition of Advanced Practice Nurses is compiling information to engage with legislators and raise public awareness. The group is urging affected NPs to report their experiences through an online form.
If you have information on this issue that you would like to share with the Coalition you can email admin@aprnadvocacy.com
Edward Briggs DNP 2025
