The Chief Health Officer says if the program is cut, hundreds could lose access to medical care.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Chief Health Officer of Jacksonville is voicing concerns about the fate of Healthlink Jax, a pilot initiative offering free healthcare services to uninsured Jacksonville residents.
Dr. Sunil Joshi warns that if the city council’s finance committee enacts their proposed budget cuts in September, the program could be discontinued, leaving thousands without access to essential medical services.
“Healthlink Jax serves to keep uninsured individuals from going to the emergency room for minor health issues. Many without insurance lack a primary care physician and rely on the emergency room for primary care,” Joshi explained.
The initiative employs telehealth for initial patient screenings, helping to alleviate the burden on local emergency rooms. Moreover, it results in substantial taxpayer savings.
“Taxpayers currently contribute $56 million annually to the University of Florida in Jacksonville for indigent care. This approach is financially unsustainable, so we need a solution that reduces emergency room visits and makes room for private health insurance patients,” Joshi stated.
Data reveals that from July 2024 to July 2025, Healthlink Jax handled over 5100 calls, organized more than 1300 doctor appointments, and prevented over $8 million in medical expenses.
“If we can one, have more people sign up for health insurance, two, keep these folks healthy and out of the hospital and figure out a way to divert the emergency room visits for them, how are we losing?” Joshi asked. “How are we losing when we could be talking about saving millions and tens of millions of dollars over time by simply investing in these programs.”
Healthlink Jax is a free program open to Jacksonville residents who don’t have insurance. If you are in need of their services. You can call, 904-925-CARE (2273) or go to the Healthlink Jax website.
