News, Events & Public Meetings

Better Value

Providing better value for your premium dollar through the 80/20 Rule: Health insurance companies now have to spend at least 80 cents of your premium dollar on health care or improvements to care, rather than administrative costs like salaries or marketing, or they have to provide you a refund.  This means that 981,273 Floridians with private insurance coverage benefited from $41,679,928 in refunds from insurance companies, for an average refund of $65 per family because of the Affordable Care Act.

Scrutinizing unreasonable premium increases: In […]

Better Options

Making health care more affordable and accessible through the Health Insurance Marketplaces:  Through the Marketplace, Floridians had the option of signing up for quality health coverage at a price they could afford. Whether they visited the simpler, faster and more intuitive website at HealthCare.gov or contacted the call center, they found more choices and competitive prices.

In Florida, 1,596,296 consumers selected or were automatically re-enrolled in quality, affordable health insurance coverage through the Marketplace as of Feb. 22.  Nationwide, nearly 11.7 million consumers selected […]

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 health care 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. Navigators are available to help consumers enroll during this special enrollment period – consumers can visit http://ncfnavigators.org for a calendar of Navigator events or contact the Navigator dedicated to […]

Central Healthy Start Coalition and Healthy Start of North Central Florida Coalition have released their annual reports for 2014. Both coalitions offer care coordination, and support and education in childbirth, parenting, tobacco cessation and women’s health. The coalitions serve areas that are largely rural with low population density and with a level of income that is lower compared to the rest of the state. Both reports provide data on the number of pregnant women screened and served by Healthy Start in North Central and Central […]

Suwannee River AHEC is proud to present its 7th Annual Rural Tobacco Summit. Scheduled for April 1, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the summit will focus on reducing nicotine addiction through a clinical and community approach. All healthcare professionals, community educators and tobacco specialists are invited. A free lunch will be served.

Many individuals are well aware of the need to quit the consumption of tobacco products, but without support and/or guidance this task can be daunting. The summit will highlight this issue and more, including […]

CentralHealthy Start and Healthy Start of North Central Florida have released the winter 2015 issue of A Healthy Start. Readers can expect to learn valuable information on topics such as prenatal care, the magical hour and the top 10 things every pregnant woman should know. Designed for pregnant women and mothers of children up to three years old, the bulletins are published twice a year by WellFlorida Council and Healthy Start. Bulletins will be distributed to pediatricians, hospitals and clinics across 16 counties. PDF versions can be downloaded […]

Open enrollment for insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace created by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ends Feb. 15. When Open Enrollment is closed, those wishing to enroll can only do so if they experience a life-changing event, such as having a baby or moving to a new state. Most individuals are required to have health insurance or pay a penalty, which in 2015 will be 2% of household income or $325 per adult and $162.50 per child.The next Open Enrollment period begins Oct. 15, 2015.

Navigators are […]

Healthy Start of North Central Florida is now offering a free parenting program in Alachua, Bradford and Putnam Counties. The Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program helps parents and caregivers:

• Learn about their 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 their child

Also, parents can earn free rewards, such as diapers and wipes, by participating in the program.

The MIECHV program is based on successful […]

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. If you have questions about the Marketplace, want to review your coverage options, change your health insurance plan or apply for coverage for the first time, the Health Insurance Marketplace Navigators are here to help. WellFlorida Council has multiple Navigators available to provide free, unbiased assistance to guide […]