Important Links and Phone Numbers

FLORIDA STATE AGENCIES

• Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) – licenses and regulates health care facilities and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) in Florida and manages the Florida Medicaid Program.


• Consumer Websites – www.FloridaHealthFinder.gov and www.MyFloridaRx.com
• For individuals and families: http://ahca.MyFlorida.com/consumers.shtml
• For providers: http://ahca.MyFlorida.com/providers.shtml


• Division of Health Quality Assurance (HQA) – licenses and regulates Florida health care facilities and providers like hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, etc.


• For a list of facility and provider addresses, phone numbers, and other information: www.FloridaHealthFinder.gov/FacilityLocator/facloc.aspx
• To view facility and provider inspection reports: http://ahcaxnet.fdhc.state.fl.us/dm_web
• For contact information for HQA Area Offices: http://ahca.myflorida.com/MCHQ/Areas
• To find HQA Licensure Units: http://ahca.myflorida.com/licensing_cert.shtml
• For information on health insurance plans, the Bureau of Managed Health Care: Managed Health Care, Commercial HMOs and/or Medicaid HMOs


• Division of Medicaid – contact the Agency’s Area Medicaid Offices for information on Medicaid services, a list of Medicaid providers, Medicaid health plans, consumer education, and information for Medicaid providers.


• To find a list of Area Medicaid Offices: www.MyMedicaid-Florida.com
• To view the Division’s website: http://ahca.myflorida.com/Medicaid
• To file a Medicaid complaint or to report possible Medicaid fraud call toll-free (888) 419-3456
• To apply for Medicaid contact the Department of Children and Families, call toll-free (866) 762-2237 or view the website www.dcf.state.fl.us


• Donate Life Florida – the Joshua Abbott Organ and Tissue Donor Registry provides the opportunity to join Florida’s organ, tissue and eye donor registry by signing up online.


• Information Center – call toll-free (888) 419-3456 to file a complaint against a health care facility or health maintenance organization (HMO), request consumer brochures, report Medicaid fraud, or to be connected with Medicaid and other Agency departments.


• Uninsured – find programs to help the uninsured at Medical Help Resources


• Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APF) – helps people with developmental disabilities and their families in identifying needed support and services. Call toll-free (866) 273-2273.


• Cover Florida – includes six health insurance companies in Florida that provide very basic health insurance coverage for lower cost.


• Department of Children and Families (DCF) - works to protect vulnerable Floridians and to promote strong and economically self-sufficient families.


• Abuse Hotline –to report suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of children and elderly or disabled adults call toll-free (800) 962-2873 or TDD (800) 453-5145.


• Adoption – to inquire about Florida child adoption, call toll-free (800) 962-3678 or from out of state call (904) 353-0679.


• Domestic Abuse Hotline – to seek help or to report domestic violence, call toll-free (800) 500-1119.


• Medicaid, Food Stamps, and Temporary Cash Assistance – to apply for these programs call toll-free (866) 762-2237 or click
www.dcf.state.fl.us

• Other Programs include substance abuse, mental health, refugee services, foster care, and homelessness.


• Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA) – offers a variety of programs that serve Florida’s elder population.


• Area Agencies on Aging – work to develop projects to benefit Florida's seniors, find a list of local offices: http://elderaffairs.state.fl.us/english/aaa.php.


• Assisted Living Facilities and Adult Family Care Homes – find a list of facilities, funding, and what to look for in choosing a facility: www.FloridaAffordableAssistedLiving.org.


• CARES – provides an assessment of seniors or persons with a disability to see what help is needed to keep the person in the home, to get home and community based services, or to help with nursing home placement. Call toll-free (800) 963-5337 (or TDD 800-955-8771) or click http://elderaffairs.state.fl.us/english/cares.php.


• Elder Care Services Helpline – call toll-free (800) 963-5337 or TDD (800) 955-8771 for referral to services for seniors .


• Long-Term Care Ombudsman Council – investigates and helps resolve complaints of residents in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and adult family care homes. Call toll-free (888) 831-0404 or click http://ombudsman.MyFlorida.com.


• SHINE – for seniors and for people with a disability, SHINE provides counseling on Medicare, Medicaid, long-term care insurance, prescription assistance programs, and other health insurance issues. Call toll-free (800) 963-5337 (or TDD 800-955-8771) and ask to speak with a SHINE counselor or click www.FloridaShine.org.


• Department of Financial Services (DFS) – regulates the Florida insurance industry. For information on insurance and for consumer publications call toll-free (800) 342-2762.


• Division of Insurance Fraud – to report insurance fraud call toll-free (800) 378- 0445.


• Funeral and Cemetery Hotline – for questions and complaints call toll-free (800) 323-2627.


• Hurricane Helpline – for questions related to insurance and hurricane damage call toll-free (800) 227-8676.


• Workers’ Compensation Employee Assistance Office – helps employees who need benefits and services due to injury on the job. Call toll-free (800) 342-1741.


• Department of Health (DOH) – licenses and regulates Florida health care professionals, operates County Health Departments throughout the State, and works with many issues of public health.


• Complaint Hotline – to file a complaint against a health care professional call toll-free (877) 425-8852 and request a complaint form.


• Consumer Health Care Information – for consumer health care information click www.doh.state.fl.us/Floridians.html.


• County Health Departments – to find County Health Departments click www.FloridasHealth.com then choose a County in the section “Access health in your community.”


• Health Care Professionals – for licensure information on health care professionals click www.FLHealthSource.com.


• Local Health Councils – conduct regional health planning. For information and a list of Local Health Councils click www.doh.state.fl.us/Workforce/HealthCouncils/LHC_Index.html.


• Office of Vital Statistics – for official records of birth, death, marriage and divorce in Florida, call (904) 359-6900 or click www.floridashealth.com/Planning_eval/Vital_Statistics/index.html.


• Other Information – contact the Dept. of Health for information on maternal and child health, immunizations, health alerts, brain and spinal cord injury, and health statistics.


• Department of Management Services


• Division of State Group Insurance – for active and retired State of Florida employees and surviving spouses. Call toll-free (800) 226-3734.


• Clearinghouse on Disabilities – for information and referral call toll-free (877) 232-4968 (Voice and TTY).


• Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) - provides information and services for Florida military veterans.


• Division of Emergency Management (DCA) - provides information on disaster preparation, information during a disaster, and assistance afterwards, also a Special Needs Registry for patients whose medical needs are acute, to help with evacuation during a disaster.


• Florida Attorney General - for information on civil rights, crime prevention, and criminal appeals.


• Consumer Protection - information for consumers on fraud, identity theft, child safety, free credit reports, consumer complaints, and consumer alerts.


• Medicaid Fraud - to report possible Medicaid fraud call toll-free (866) 966-7226.


• Victim Services - advocates for crime victims and possible financial help for innocent victims of crime. Call toll-free (800) 226-6667 (or 414-3300 for Tallahassee area residents).


• Florida Kid Care - is a health insurance program for children under age 19, available at low or no cost depending on family income.


• Florida State Agencies - find links to Florida State Agencies, other state government entities, committees, and commissions.

NATIONAL HEALTH RESOURCES

• Accreditation Organizations – are independent groups that work to advance and promote quality of care and patient safety through accreditation of health care facilities and providers that request accreditation.


• Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care: www.aaahc.org
• Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers: www.birthcenters.org/open-abc/bc-accreditation
• Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities: www.carf.org
• Council on Accreditation: www.coanet.org
• National Committee for Quality Assurance: www.ncqa.org
• The Joint Commission: www.jointcommission.org


• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) – includes centers that specialize in major areas of health care research and provides funding and technical help for health research and training at U.S. universities and other institutions.


• Department of Health and Human Services – the main U.S. agency for protecting the health of Americans and providing human services.


• Disability Resources – this is a federal website of disability-related resources.


• Medicare – is a federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older, disabled persons, or those with end-stage kidney disease. Call toll-free (800) 633-4227 or TTY (877) 486-2048.


• Compare Health Care Providers – click the following links to compare Nursing Homes, Hospitals, Home Health Agencies, Dialysis Facilities that serve Medicare patients. Also find and compare Medicare Health Plans and Supplemental Insurance Policies.


• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services - the federal agency that administers Medicare and other health related programs, click www.cms.hhs.gov.


• National Quality Forum - is a non-profit membership organization that develops and implements national strategy for health care quality measurement and reporting.


• www.USA.gov - find links to other federal agencies.