Jacksonville Florida Health Insurance Program Needs Help

Jacksonville Florida Health Insurance program Jax Care is considering its options in a new operating environment created by two decisions in Tallahassee that could bring an end to its health plan.

JaxCare, a nonprofit that offers a health plan for the working poor and is also developing a health information network through a federal grant, suspended enrollment in its health plan, effective July 1. The health plan is designed for the low-wage, working uninsured. It aims to fill the gap for employees who make too much money to qualify for state health programs but can't afford health-insurance premiums.


In 2003, the city earmarked $2.5 million for JaxCare to pay for physician care, medicines and medical management for those enrolled in the health plan. Since then JaxCare has drawn down about $1.85 million, with $350,000 set aside for reserves, and provided insurance for almost 1,500 people.

The city, facing a dramatic reduction in property tax revenues imposed by the state Legislature, is pulling the plug on the program at the end of the year. And the health plan was further hamstrung by the decision of the Florida Senate not to reduce barriers to enrollment in health plans like JaxCare's.

Dr. Rhonda Poirier, the president and CEO of JaxCare, said the organization is looking at other options in an attempt to keep the health plan alive, including looking for other sources of funding and going to an all-volunteer network of doctors.

"The doctors have been tremendous partners in this from the beginning," Poirier said. "They're participating for very low or no reimbursement, as a community service."

Poirier expects a working group, which includes the JaxCare board, will make a decision by the end of October or early November.

The pressures on JaxCare's health plan are highlighted by a recent report from the U.S. Census Bureau, which said the number of Americans without health insurance hit 47 million last year, up 2.2 million from 2005.

Since 2000, the share of the population without health insurance coverage has increased 2.1 percentage points, an increase of 8.6 million uninsured Americans.