Obtaining health care coverage is a concern of many Americans, especially for those who recently lost their job resulting in loss of health insurance as well. There are some programs out there that may help you.

COBRA Coverage:
If your employer continues to operate and offer a group plan, COBRA continuation coverage may be available. It may cost you more than when you were employed, but still likely to be cheaper than private insurance. Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 certain individuals will be eligible for COBRA cover at a discounted rate. Click here to learn more.

Government Health Care Programs:
Medicaid or Medicare or call 1-800-MEDICARE; Florida State Children's Health Insurance Program and Cover Florida (an affordable health coverage available to uninsured Floridians through a comprehensive market-based strategy).

Public Health Departments:
While Public Health Departments do not replace primary care providers, they do provide some health services for free such as immunizations, smoking cessations programs and more. Click here to learn more about services provided at your local health department.


To help Pasco County residents explore health care options and services, the Pasco County Library System will be holding workshops at the library branches. Watch for more information in the library's Calendar of Events or call (727) 861-3040.

While none of these options are ideal, it least there is some assistance out there.