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Gainesville Sun
By Christopher Curry

Alachua County fared well in a national county-by-county snapshot of residents’ health, while several rural North Central Florida counties continued to struggle with significant issues.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute’s sixth annual national county health report ranked Alachua County 18th in the state for health outcomes, a measure that looks at data related to residents’ length of life and quality of life.

Alachua County was second in the state for health factors, a measurement that […]

WellFlorida News Release

Consumers who had to pay a penalty for not having health coverage in 2014 and still haven’t signed up this year have one more opportunity to enroll in healthcare coverage for 2015. Consumers can visit Healthcare.gov from March 15 to April 30 to sign up for health insurance and explore their financial assistance options.

“This special enrollment period is a wonderful opportunity for uninsured Floridians to get health care coverage for themselves and their families,” said Lauren Vagelakos of WellFlorida Council and Health Insurance […]

Center for Nonprofit Excellence E-News

WellFlorida Council, the region’s local health council and statewide consultants for health causes,
is a nonprofit focused on building healthy communities through partnerships that improve access to healthcare, eliminate health disparities and advocate for the underserved.

Established in 1969 and based in Gainesville, we are one of Florida’s 11 local health councils, a network of nonprofit agencies that conduct regional health planning and implementation activities. Our district includes 16 counties in North Central Florida.

As consultants for health causes, we keep local and […]

Special to The Guardian
By Mona Gil De Gibaja

Healthy Start of North Central Florida is now offering a free parenting program in Alachua, Bradford and Putnam counties.

It is called the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting, or MIECHV, program and it will offer the following:
* Information on your child’s development.
* One-on-one parenting support.
* A connection with other parents and resources
* Information on developmental delays and/or health issues.
* Books and educational toys for your child.

Also, parents can earn free rewards, […]

The Gainesville Sun
By Christopher Curry

The federal government has granted a limited extension to the Affordable Care Act enrollment period for people who attempted to sign up before the Feb. 15 deadline but were unable to complete their application.

The extension is for people who encountered the technical problems that plagued the HealthCare.gov website during the last weekend of enrollment or faced extended wait times trying to get through to the federal health marketplace call center during a pre-deadline rush, according to the Department of Health […]

Special to The Gainesville Sun

Open enrollment for the Health Insurance Marketplace has been fast 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 timeframe to apply for 2015 coverage is almost over — open enrollment ends on Feb. 15.

After Feb. 15, enrollment will be closed for all consumers unless they experience a life-changing event such as marriage, divorce, having a baby or moving to a new […]

The Gainesville Sun
By Chris Curry

Working three decades for the state prison system, Gainesville resident Telia Batts did not have to worry about maintaining health insurance coverage.

But after his retirement 10 years ago, Batts, now 64, and his wife, Wanda, eventually found themselves in a coverage gap. He paid out of pocket for insurance for a while but saw a steep rise in the cost for the plan and had to cancel it when he was still a few years away from turning 65 and […]