It’s March, and the deadline to enroll in health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act is swiftly approaching. At the end of last year, the deadline was delayed to March 31. In a recent announcement from Pamela Roshell, the regional director for the eight state Region IV of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, she reported that enrollment is accelerating.
In the last week of February, total signups across the U.S. passed four million. For Florida, that number passed 200,000. Roshell also announced that the number of people signing up in the coveted 18-34 age group has also increased. The latest numbers show that 27 percent of the people enrolling in January fell in this category. To help the public with understanding and selecting the best plans, enrollment events are being held all over the state this month in cities like Jacksonville and Tampa.
With all of these Floridians getting insurance who were not insured before, it’s a no-brainer that they are going to need a doctor. Fortunately, there are easy tools for finding a local physician, such as the 2014 Central Florida Physicians Directory and Medical Professionals Guide. Also, in an upcoming edition of Central Florida Health News, we will be publishing a special directory of Polk County Medical Association member physicians. Your active membership with the PCMA means you will receive a complimentary listing in this special directory, which will reach over 35,000 residents (many of them with insurance, and possibly looking for a new doctor). If you have any questions about the upcoming release of this special directory, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Nelson Kirkland, Publisher
