Author Archive

Special to The Gainesville Sun
By Lauren Vagelakos

Open enrollment for the second year of the Health Insurance Marketplace began on Nov. 15 of this year. During open enrollment, consumers are able to log on to Healthcare.gov and view plans available to them, as well as enroll in coverage. Open enrollment for the Health Insurance Marketplace runs until Feb. 15.

However, if consumers want a health plan beginning on Jan. 1, the deadline to enroll is Dec. 15 of this year. If you currently have a marketplace […]

The Guardian
By Aida Mallard

Do you have health insurance? If not, why not take advantage of the Community Health Enrollment event with Affordable Health Care Act Navigators to help you enroll in a health plan to fit your needs and your pocketbook.

And eligible individuals and families could receive subsidies that could result in huge discounts.

The enrollment event will be held from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Dec. 13 at the King Center at 1028 NE 14th St. It is free and open to the community. […]

Gainesville Sun
By Christopher Curr

A ceremony at the Florida Museum of Natural History Butterfly Rainforest marked World AIDS Day Monday.
For the HIV positive women and their caregivers in attendance, the setting was significant.

By morphing from a crawling caterpillar into a brightly colored flying butterfly, the butterfly was a symbol of transformation, they said.

The members of the Rural Women’s Health Project Let’s Talk About It peer group who gathered Monday see a similar transformation in their lives.

Walking to a podium to share their stories to […]

The Gainesville Sun

Based on its grade of D on the recent March of Dimes Premature Birth Report Card, Florida needs to do more to avoid the health and societal risks linked to preterm births.

Florida received the grade based on its rate of 13.6 percent preterm births among all births statewide in 2013. The rate was 11.8 percent in Alachua County.

Babies born before the 37th week of pregnancy are considered preterm.

The U.S. rate is far above the rates of other industrialized countries. The […]