Author Archive

Gainesville Sun
By Cindy Swirko

While the navigators had no one to guide through the Affordable Care Act at an outreach event Saturday, they said plenty of Alachua County residents are enrolling — many of whom had been getting health care through the county’s now defunct CHOICES program.

CHOICES, which had been funded with local quarter-cent sales tax, provided limited health care for the working poor. It expired last year just as the federal Affordable Care Act was starting.

“I have gotten a number of people who were on […]

Independent Florida Alligator
Robyn Smith, Alligator Contributing Writer

One-sixth of people infected with HIV don’t know they have it, but UF organizations are working together to make sure Gators don’t become a statistic.

The UF Institute of Hispanic-Latino Cultures, the Institute of Black Culture, LGBT Affairs and WellFlorida Council are hosting free HIV testing today.

It will run from noon to 2 p.m. at La Casita, 1504 W. University Ave.

Testing is free for all UF students, faculty and staff with Gator 1 Cards.

Austin Sanchez, a 19-year-old UF finance […]

WellFlorida News Release

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (January 29, 2014)— Uninsured Floridians can avoid penalties by enrolling in the Health Insurance Marketplace by March 31. To assist with the enrollment process, Health Insurance Marketplace Navigators are participating in events throughout North Central Florida and are available through a number of community agencies.

Generally, individuals can only enroll in the Health Insurance Marketplace during the annual open enrollment period. The next open enrollment period begins Nov. 15, 2014. It is possible to buy insurance through the Marketplace outside of open enrollment […]

Special to the Guardian

A certified HealthCare Navigator will be available at Alachua County Library District locations in east Gainesville through Feb. 15 to provide information about health insurance options available under the Affordable Care Act, as well as assist with signing up for health coverage.

Anyone wishing to enroll in health insurance, shop for a new plan or renew their health coverage can visit one of these locations for free, unbiased assistance. Information on local resources available for those who don’t qualify for the discounts and […]

Lake County Healthy Living Magazine
By John Sotomayor, Contributing Writer

No other policy under President Barack Obama’s administration rallied with greater determination under the campaign slogans of “Hope” and “Yes We Can” like his Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare. Yet since enrollment began on Oct. 1, the process hasn’t quite worked as originally pitched, leaving many to doubt and ponder, “Can we?” With the March 31 deadline only three months away, Healthy Living places ACA on the examination chair, taking a close look […]

Gainesville Sun
By Kristine Crane, Staff writer

It’s not too late to sign up for health insurance on the federal marketplace. Monday is the deadline for coverage to begin Jan. 1, and on Saturday, navigators will host an event to help people with last-minute efforts to get insurance.

The event, held by the North Central Florida Navigators, which is overseen by the WellFlorida Council in Gainesville, will be held at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center, 1028 NE 14th St. in Gainesville, from 9 a.m. to 2 […]

GTN News

Applying for government issued health insurance may be a little easier. The Obama administration says it met its goal to have the healthcare.gov website working smoothly for most users, but is it?
It’s been two months since the healthcare marketplace opened and officials say healthcare.gov is finally working and “reliably open for business.”

They say it’s working at least 90% of the time but one local woman says 90% is not enough for her to trust with her health.

“No. Not until they are 100% sure […]

Ocala Star Banner
By Bill Thompson

Anna Wilson is one of a kind — literally.

Wilson serves as the designated patient “navigator” for Marion County under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or ACA.

That makes Wilson the only person in town with the credentials to help some of the estimated 65,000 to 80,000 uninsured people in the community obtain health insurance through the ACA.

As politicians a thousand miles away bicker over website flubs, postponing the law’s mandate for individual coverage and other aspects of the program […]

Business Report, North Central Florida

Information from the “County Health Rankings & Roadmaps” program, a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, and WellFlorida Council, Inc., a private Gainesville nonprofit.

AS OF 2013:
Ranked 4 in the state for behavioral, clinical, environmental, and social and economic factors determining population health

Ranked 18 in the state for health outcomes, a combination of length and quality of life based on health factors

Total Population – 246,203 / Florida – 18,688,787
Non-Elderly Uninsured – […]

WellFlorida News Release

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (October 17, 2013)— WellFlorida Council’s “Stop Aids Now” campaign has launched an online video series entitled “Stories of Hope” to increase awareness of HIV and to inspire optimism in communities affected by HIV/AIDS.

“Stories of Hope” consists of three documentaries filmed in North Central Florida. The videos are available to view on the Stop AIDS Now website (www.EveryoneStopAIDSNow.org), Vimeo, YouTube and other outlets. They will also be available for viewing at the WellFlorida table at the Ocala Pridefest on Oct. 19 and […]