Florida Covering Kids & Families, a nonprofit program at the College of Public Health at the University of South Florida, has received a $1.6 million grant from the federal government to help people navigate upcoming open enrollment for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
The $1.6 million grant is an increase from last year’s $1.3 million grant and will allow the group to expand its navigator services to support efforts in Northwest Florida and North Central Florida, Jodi Ray, director of Florida Covering Kids & Families, said in a news release.
This will be the eighth year that the group has received grants from the federal government to help people enroll or re-enroll in the federal health insurance marketplace or other health insurance programs.
In 2019, the group helped enroll 1.9 million Floridians in marketplace plans, a 10 percent increase over the prior year's open enrollment.
Ray said the group will work with the Big Bend Area Health Education Centers to offer navigator services in Washington, Holmes, Jackson, Franklin, Calhoun, Liberty, Gadsden, Gulf, Leon, Wakulla, Madison, Jefferson, Bay and Taylor counties. It will partner with Suwannee River Area Health Education Centers to provide assistance in Alachua, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Marion, Putnam, Suwannee and Union counties.
