Florida Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Association
Tallahassee, FL
Oct 20, 2026
The Florida Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Association (NICA) was created by the Florida Legislature in 1988 in response to a growing medical malpractice insurance crisis that threatened access to obstetrical care. As malpractice costs increased, physicians faced growing disincentives to treat high-risk patients and practice in high-risk specialties, including obstetrics.
NICA provides a no-fault alternative to medical malpractice litigation for certain catastrophic birth-related neurological injuries. In doing so, NICA has helped stabilize Florida's medical malpractice environment while providing eligible families with a source of lifetime support and care.
At its core, however, NICA is a human services organization. Florida law requires the program to be administered in a manner that promotes and protects the health and best interests of participants with birth-related neurological injuries. That obligation guides NICA's work and its relationship with the families it serves.
NICA is funded primarily through assessments paid by participating physicians and hospitals and must maintain the financial resources necessary to meet its obligations to participants throughout their lifetimes. NICA currently manages approximately $1.6 billion in assets against approximately $1.7 billion in estimated lifetime liabilities, with more than $70 million in reimbursements paid each year. Maintaining NICA's long-term financial strength while delivering responsive, high-quality services to families is central to the organization's mission.