ALACHUA COUNTY, Florida — In response to slow enrollments during the first few months of operation, the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners directed CHOICES staff to greatly increase their outreach activity. Starting this week, Community Outreach Partners are going business to business, church to church, and neighborhood to neighborhood educating County residents about the new CHOICES Health Services program.
“We’ve learned that it takes personal contact and follow-up for people to enroll in this type of program,” said CHOICES staff member Lorraine Austin. “Our targets are busy people, working hard to make ends meet. They usually have never had a primary care physician, so seeking health care on a preventive basis—rather than when they are very sick—is a new behavior for them.”
CHOICES (Community Health Offering Innovative Care and Educational Services) is a new health services program funded by the citizens of Alachua County through the quarter cent sales tax. CHOICES provides health care visits, prescription assistance, basic dental care, health education and disease management. There is no monthly charge and enrollees have only a $10.00 co-pay for medical and dental visits and a $5.00 co-pay per month for each prescription. Soon, health education programs, supported by CHOICES, will be held throughout the County and will be open to all Alachua County residents.
Open enrollment hours are now available every week. Without an appointment, citizens can come to the Department of Community Support Services (218 SE 24tth Street, Gainesville) for an enrollment interview: Monday, 7:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.; Tuesday, 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.; Wednesday, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.; and Thursday, 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
For further information or to make an appointment at another time, call (352) 264-6772.
Are you eligible?
- Age 18 – 64*
- U.S. citizen or permanent resident
- Alachua County resident
- Employed 25 hours per week or more
- Limited household income (see chart below)
- Not eligible for Medicaid, Medicare*, VA benefits
- If insurance is offered by your employer, but is unaffordable you may be eligible. Call (352) 264-6772 for more information.
* Senior citizens age 65 and older may be eligible to receive dental and prescription assistance.
Income Eligibility Limits
Size of Family Unit
Gross Annual
Household Income
(at or below)
Gross Monthly
Household Income
(at or below)
1
$19,600
$1,633
2
$26,400
$2,200
3
$33,200
$2,766