Sleepspan private practice

Florida Patient's Bill of Rights and Responsibilities

Summary for Patients of Sleepspan, PLLC

Care provided by David Benavides, M.D. (Florida license ME172062), by secure video telehealth.

Launch version 1.1, effective November 9, 2026

Summary of the Florida Patient's Bill of Rights and Responsibilities

Florida law requires that your health care provider or health care facility recognize your rights while you are receiving medical care and that you respect the health care provider's or health care facility's right to expect certain behavior on the part of patients. You may request a copy of the full text of this law from your health care provider or health care facility. A summary of your rights and responsibilities follows:

Your Rights

Individual dignity

A patient has the right to be treated with courtesy and respect, with appreciation of his or her individual dignity, and with protection of his or her need for privacy.
A patient has the right to a prompt and reasonable response to questions and requests.

Information

A patient has the right to know who is providing medical services and who is responsible for his or her care.
A patient has the right to know what patient support services are available, including whether an interpreter is available if he or she does not speak English.
A patient has the right to bring any person of his or her choosing to the patient-accessible areas of the health care facility or provider's office to accompany the patient while the patient is receiving inpatient or outpatient treatment or is consulting with his or her health care provider, unless doing so would risk the safety or health of the patient, other patients, or staff of the facility or office or cannot be reasonably accommodated by the facility or provider.
A patient has the right to know what rules and regulations apply to his or her conduct.
A patient has the right to be given by the health care provider information concerning diagnosis, planned course of treatment, alternatives, risks, and prognosis.
A patient has the right to refuse any treatment, except as otherwise provided by law.

Financial information and disclosure

A patient has the right to be given, upon request, full information and necessary counseling on the availability of known financial resources for his or her care.
A patient who is eligible for Medicare has the right to know, upon request and in advance of treatment, whether the health care provider or health care facility accepts the Medicare assignment rate.
A patient has the right to receive, upon request, prior to treatment, a reasonable estimate of charges for medical care.
A patient has the right to receive a copy of a reasonably clear and understandable, itemized bill and, upon request, to have the charges explained.

Access to health care

A patient has the right to impartial access to medical treatment or accommodations, regardless of race, national origin, religion, handicap, or source of payment.
A patient has the right to treatment for any emergency medical condition that will deteriorate from failure to provide treatment.

Experimental research

A patient has the right to know if medical treatment is for purposes of experimental research and to give his or her consent or refusal to participate in such experimental research.

Grievances

A patient has the right to express grievances regarding any violation of his or her rights, as stated in Florida law, through the grievance procedure of the health care provider or health care facility which served him or her and to the appropriate state licensing agency.

Your Responsibilities

A patient is responsible for providing to the health care provider, to the best of his or her knowledge, accurate and complete information about present complaints, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications, and other matters relating to his or her health.
A patient is responsible for reporting unexpected changes in his or her condition to the health care provider.
A patient is responsible for reporting to the health care provider whether he or she comprehends a contemplated course of action and what is expected of him or her.
A patient is responsible for following the treatment plan recommended by the health care provider.
A patient is responsible for keeping appointments and, when he or she is unable to do so for any reason, for notifying the health care provider or health care facility.
A patient is responsible for his or her actions if he or she refuses treatment or does not follow the health care provider's instructions.
A patient is responsible for assuring that the financial obligations of his or her health care are fulfilled as promptly as possible.
A patient is responsible for following health care facility rules and regulations affecting patient care and conduct.

How These Rights Work at Sleepspan

This part is the practice's own information. It is not part of the state's summary above.

This Florida summary is posted for all Sleepspan patients. Patients in Massachusetts and Michigan have the rights their own state gives them; complaint contacts for those states are listed below.

Michigan has no patient's bill of rights law for physician offices. This Florida summary is posted for all Sleepspan patients as a courtesy; Michigan patients have the records, privacy and complaint rights described in our Notice of Privacy Practices.

Massachusetts patients: you may inspect your record and receive a copy. Electronic copies through the portal are free. For paper copies Sleepspan charges no more than Massachusetts law allows (currently a base fee of up to $15 per request plus up to $0.50 per page for the first 100 pages and $0.25 per page after that, plus postage) or the HIPAA cost-based amount if that is lower. There is no charge, and we respond within 30 days, when the records support a Social Security or other needs-based benefit claim or appeal and you tell us so when you ask. We never require payment of your bill before releasing records. Your record is kept for at least 7 years after your last visit.

Who is providing your care. Your care is provided and directed by one physician. David Benavides, M.D., is a sleep medicine physician. He completed fellowship training in sleep medicine at Mass General Brigham and Harvard Medical School, where he is on the faculty. He is also a diplomate of the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine (see note). Florida medical license ME172062. You may ask him at any visit about his training and qualifications.

Note on the lifestyle medicine credential: The specialty recognition identified herein has been received from a private organization not affiliated with or recognized by the Florida Board of Medicine.

Emergencies. Sleepspan is a telehealth practice and does not provide emergency care. If you think you are having an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. If you are thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988.

Telehealth and support services. Visits are by secure video. Sleepspan sees patients only while they are physically in Florida, Massachusetts or Michigan. Tell us at every visit which state you are in. Sleepspan cares for adults (18 and older). Sleepspan has no hospital or facility, so there are no on-site patient support services. You may have a person of your choosing join your video visit, unless that would risk the safety or health of anyone or cannot reasonably be arranged. Please tell us at the start of the visit. Dr. Benavides notes in your record who is present.

Interpreter. Dr. Benavides provides care in English, Spanish and Italian. If you need another language or sign-language support, tell us before scheduling and we will arrange it at no charge to you.

Rules that apply to you. Our visit and cancellation rules are in your service agreement (Form 6) and fee schedule (Form 7), which you receive after we accept you as a patient. Please be respectful toward Dr. Benavides and anyone else who joins your visit.

Costs and estimates. Sleepspan is a self-pay practice. For this practice, Sleepspan does not submit claims, prepare superbills, or provide receipts for insurance submission. An itemized receipt for your own records is available on request; it states "not for insurance submission." You may ask for a written estimate of charges at any time, including before your first visit is booked. Florida law (Fla. Stat. 381.026(4)(c)5.) also requires us to give an uninsured person, before a planned non-emergency service, a reasonable estimate of charges and information about any discount or charity policy. Sleepspan does not have a standing discount, payment-plan or financial assistance program. Federal law also entitles people who pay on their own to a "Good Faith Estimate." We send it within 1 business day after your first visit is booked (at booking if the visit is less than 2 business days away). In this document, "business days" means Monday to Friday, excluding federal holidays. We give you the exact fee for your visit in writing before anything is scheduled; fees are not published. To ask for an estimate or an itemized bill, or to have charges explained, contact us using the information below.

Medicare. The state's summary says a patient who is eligible for Medicare may ask, before treatment, whether the provider accepts the Medicare assignment rate. Dr. Benavides is enrolled in Medicare as a participating physician. That means he accepts Medicare assignment for any Medicare-covered service he provides to a Medicare patient. This practice does not see patients covered by Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, QMB or a Medicare Savings Program, or both Medicare and Medicaid, because Dr. Benavides is a participating Medicare physician and federal rules do not allow private payment for covered services. There are no exceptions. This is a scheduling and enrollment rule for our self-pay telehealth practice. It is not a refusal of emergency care. If you have an emergency, call 911. If you have TRICARE, CHAMPVA, VA health care, Indian Health Service or another government health program, or you are not sure about your coverage, tell us on your registration form. We will review your situation individually before any visit is scheduled or any fee is charged, and tell you our decision in writing. If you intend to seek reimbursement from any plan or program for this care, we also review your request before scheduling.

Experimental research. Sleepspan does not offer experimental research. If that ever changes, we will tell you first and ask for your written consent. Taking part will always be your choice.

How to Raise a Concern or Complaint

You have the right to know our grievance procedure and to use it. We will not hold it against you or treat you differently for raising a concern.

With Sleepspan, PLLC

David Benavides, M.D.
Sleepspan, PLLC
Mailing address: 7901 4th St N, Ste 300, St. Petersburg, FL 33702 (mailing address) (mail only; no patient is seen at this address)
Phone: (305) 330-2807
Email: hello@sleepspanhealth.com
Website: sleepspanhealth.com

To raise a concern, tell us by portal message, phone, email, or mail. A team member will confirm that we received it, and you will receive a written answer. If you are not satisfied, you may also contact the state licensing agency for the state you are in (Florida, Massachusetts or Michigan) using the information below.

Privacy concerns can also be sent to Dr. Benavides, who serves as the Privacy Officer, at the same address. See our Notice of Privacy Practices.

With the State of Florida (the appropriate state licensing agency)

Florida Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance

Online complaint portal: https://complaint-portal.mqa.flhealthsource.gov/
Email: MQA.ConsumerServices@FLhealth.gov
Mail: Florida Department of Health, Board of Medicine, 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin C-03, Tallahassee, FL 32399-3253
Phone (Customer Contact Center): (850) 488-0595
Complaints against a licensed practitioner must be in writing and signed. They cannot be made by phone.

With the State of Massachusetts (if you are in Massachusetts)

Massachusetts patients may also complain about a physician to the Board of Registration in Medicine, 178 Albion Street, Suite 330, Wakefield, MA 01880, telephone (781) 876-8200, fax (781) 876-8383, or online through the Board's complaint system at mass.gov/orgs/board-of-registration-in-medicine (Submit a Complaint). Questions about the complaint process: borim.consumercomplaints@mass.gov.

With the State of Michigan (if you are in Michigan)

If you are in Michigan, you may also file a complaint about a physician with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Professional Licensing, Complaint Intake Section, P.O. Box 30670, Lansing, MI 48909-8170; phone (517) 241-0205; email BPL-Complaints@michigan.gov; or online through MiPLUS at michigan.gov/lara.

With the federal government (privacy concerns only)

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights: 1-877-696-6775 (toll free) or online at www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/