Page 8 - Florida Sentinel 12-31-21

Local
Health Care For Low Income Residents Is Expanded
The expansion of county health care is an important and an encouraging move in the right direction. Commis- sioner Gwen Myers, who advocated for the new income guidelines and added dental care, wants to be sure that residents are aware of the changes.
The county commission- ers unanimously agreed to ex- pand their health care plan for low-income residents and to begin offering dental serv- ices as part of the program.
The program served an average of 14,286 people each month in 2020, a 621-person increase over the prior year.
The current income eligi- bility limit for a single person
COMMISSIONER GWEN MYERS
... Advocated For The New
Income Guidelines And Added Dental Care
is $1,481 a month. That will increase to $1,878 under the new guidelines, which push the income cap from 138 per- cent of the federal poverty
level to 175 percent. Dental care will be capped at $2,500 annually. The change is ef- fective Jan. 1, 2022.
The program is for people who do not qualify for other government-funded health care plans or the Affordable Care Act. In 2020, 95 percent of the participants were adults living in households without children, and only 21 percent were employed.
The cost of patient care was nearly $72 million.
Commissioner Myers encourages anyone who needs health care serv- ices to call 813-272-5040 or apply online at Hills- borough County health care plan.
PAGE 8-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2021