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Every day, hundreds of sick and injured patients walk into free and charitable clinics around the Tampa Bay area in need of a doctor.Many are suffering from chronic conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure. Some patients were referred to the clinics by staff at hospitals where they landed after years of neglecting to care for treatable conditions.The clinics allow the patients to pay what they can, or nothing at all. They are staffed by doctors and nurses who volunteer their time. They survive off donations and small grants.Many of the patients have jobs but they are living paycheck to paycheck. None have health insurance, either because they do not qualify for Medicaid or can’t afford private coverage. For these patients, the clinics are often their only option for primary care.

Molina To Spend $200M On Behavioral, Mental Health Services

Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.
The Florida Channel
Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.

Insurer Molina Healthcare will spend about $200 million to expand the behavioral and mental health services it provides with its coverage.

The Long Beach-based insurer – which has Medicaid, Medicare and individual plans for sale on Healthcare.gov in Florida --  said Thursday it will buy two subsidiaries of the Providence Service Corp. They are Providence Human Services and Providence Community Services. Molina said the subsidiaries will complement its health plans.

Providence Human Services generated about $346 million in revenue last year and operates in 23 states and the District of Columbia. The Community Services part of the deal helps connect customers with social services outside behavioral and mental health help.

Molina offers coverage under the federally funded Medicare program and runs state and federally funded Medicaid coverage in several states. It also sells insurance on nine of the state-based, public health insurance exchanges created by the health care overhaul.

The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter.