How to apply for Polk Healthcare Plan (Indigent Care Coverage)

Who it's for

The Polk Healthcare Plan is Polk County's safety-net health coverage program for low-income uninsured adult residents — joining Hillsborough's HCHCP and Pinellas's PCHP as the third county-funded indigent health coverage program in the catalog. Unlike a hospital charity-care discount (which only reduces a specific facility encounter), the Polk Healthcare Plan provides BROAD COVERAGE including primary care, specialty care, behavioral healthcare, annual preventive screenings, emergency room care, urgent care, in-patient services, prescriptions, medical tests, and even YMCA membership for participating members. Eligibility requires Polk County residency, little or no income (typically at or below 100 percent of the Federal Poverty Level for full coverage, with sliding eligibility up to higher brackets), uninsured status (no other coverage), and ineligibility for Medicaid (the plan often serves people 'waiting to qualify for Medicaid' as a bridge program). For adults aged 18-64 specifically, this is one of the most valuable bridge-to-Medicare benefits available — once you turn 65 and qualify for Medicare, plan enrollment ends and you transition to Medicare. Apply by calling (863) 533-1111 (Monday-Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.) or by visiting the office at 2135 Marshall Edwards Drive, Bartow, FL 33830.

What you'll need

• Proof of Polk County residency (lease, utility bill, government correspondence)
• Proof of household income (pay stubs, Social Security award letter, tax return, SSA-1099) — applicants typically must show 'little or no income'
• Proof of family size
• Documentation that you are uninsured and have been denied or are not eligible for Medicaid, Medicare, or Marketplace coverage
• Photo identification

Where to apply

Renewals

annual recertification of income and continuing ineligibility for Medicaid/Medicare