As Florida's uninsured rate is expected to go up next year, the University of Central Florida is launching a mobile health clinic providing free health care.
The 38-foot commercial coach bus will be unveiled Wednesday as an alternative way for communities in Orange and Osceola counties to receive care.
"I hope that our clinic will help make our community healthier by serving those who have little access to health care, and I hope that it will help us prepare doctors to understand the needs of us all," said Dr. Deborah German, founding dean of the UCF College of Medicine and vice president for Health Affairs.
A rising uninsured rate
The clinic has been in the works for over three years, but in a timely coincidence, its grand unveiling is happening just before changes to federal and state health care systems could go into effect next year, with experts estimating many Florida residents will lose their health insurance.
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Changes to the Affordable Care Act are expected to drive up premiums significantly. Keeping ACA insurance affordable was the enhanced premium tax credit, which has not been renewed. Some estimates show that without the tax credit insurance premiums could increase by 90% or more, according to KFF.
About 4.7 million Floridians rely on ACA insurance, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Also, Florida Voices for Health estimates 30% could be priced out of coverage. Last week, it was reported that President Donald Trump was considering extending the tax credit by another two years.
According to U.S. Census data, 10.9% of Floridians didn't have health insurance in 2024, a slight increase over 2023's uninsured rate of 10.7%. Orange and Osceola counties both have above-average numbers with 11.7% each.
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With so many already uninsured, UCF is hoping to meet the need, even if it grows.
"I certainly hope it doesn't, but I do think that that's possible," German said. "That data alone speaks to the need, and we're creating something that will address some of that need, but certainly not all of it."
How the mobile clinic can help
The mobile clinic is outfitted with private exam rooms, diagnostic equipment to perform screenings for blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol and hearing, along with chronic disease monitoring, fall-risk assessments, medication reviews, audiology services and health education.
"It's all about overcoming barriers and meeting the patients where they are," said Dr. Ariel Mejia, the director of the mobile clinic. "This is an initiative from UCF that will allow us to meet the patients where they are to deliver no-cost health screening services and preventative services."
The main purpose is to provide care for those who cannot afford it, but it does have another function: acting as a mobile teaching lab. The van will also be an opportunity for students to work alongside physicians, nurses, audiologists and physical therapists.
Working with patients who don't have health care or don't practice preventative care offers students a crucial opportunity because many of these patients tend to have more complicated, advanced stages of a disease, Mejia said.
"It is important to be able to recognize and treat these conditions at any stage. Think about it, we would only be half as effective without that experience," Mejia said. "It's about real-world experience and the variety of patient care."
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