As diabetes numbers rise, programs help with taking control of the disease

The Gainesville Sun
By Christopher Curry

More than 29 million people in this country have diabetes.

Suwannee County resident Ron Bovin is one of them.

Bovin, 67, was first diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes about 15 years ago. He dedicated himself to losing weight and eating healthier, and eventually he no longer had to take medication.

But over time, unhealthy eating habits came back — and so did the weight, he said.

Bovin said the final straw came when his 90-year-old mother moved in with him, she started cooking meals […]

Special to The Gainesville Sun

Open enrollment for the Health Insurance Marketplace has been underway since Nov. 15. During open enrollment, consumers are able to log on to Healthcare.gov and view plans available to them, as well as enroll in coverage.

The window to apply for 2015 coverage is quickly closing. Open enrollment for the Health Insurance Marketplace runs until Feb. 15. However, if consumers want a health plan beginning on Feb. 1, the deadline to enroll is Thursday.

Even if you have coverage, you are still able […]

North Florida School Days
By the MIECHV Program Team

Parenting can be tough! Learn about your child’s development and how to deal with the ups and downs of parenting.

Healthy Start of North Central Florida is now offering a free parenting program in Alachua County. The Maternal, Infant, Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program will help you:

Learn about your child’s development
Gain one-on-one parenting support
Connect with other parents and resources
Address developmental delays and/or health issues
Access books and educational toys for your child

Also, parents can earn free rewards, such […]

Gainesville Sun
By Christopher Curry

More than 670,000 people in Florida signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act during the first month of enrollment for 2015, according to numbers the federal government released Tuesday.

Forty-nine percent were new customers, and 51 percent had coverage through the ACA in 2014 and re-enrolled, the Department of Health and Human

Services report said. Ninety-four percent received financial assistance to purchase insurance in the form of a federal tax subsidy.

An ongoing court challenge has left uncertain the long-term future […]

Ocala Star Banner, Gainesville Sun and InsuranceNewsNet.com
By Christopher Curry

The listed facilities include the Alachua County Organization for Rural Needs (ACORN) clinic, which has mental and dental clinics and mental health counseling; the Heart of Florida Health Center; the federal qualified health center in Marion County; and the Healthy Start program, which provides services for at-risk pregnant women, infants and small children.

The directory is available online at the main WellFlorida website, www.WellFlorida.org, or www.NCFNavigators.org for theWellFlorida navigator program that assists people in signing […]

WellFlorida News Release

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Dec. 15)— WellFlorida Council has published the Safety Net Healthcare Providers Directory, a comprehensive listing of free and low-cost healthcare providers in North Central Florida.

The directory was created by WellFlorida to address the needs of its Health Insurance Marketplace Navigators. Navigators help consumers understand insurance options and enroll in coverage through the Marketplace (the insurance program created by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act).

Many of the low-income individuals and families who come to the Navigators for assistance fall into the […]