Florida Center for Medicaid and the Uninsured

Director: R. Paul Duncan, Ph.D.
Department: Health Services Research, Management and Policy
Phone: (352) 273-5059
Web: http://fcmu.phhp.ufl.edu/

The mission of the FCMU is to conduct research, policy analysis, and education on issues related to access, quality, and cost of health care for underserved populations. Critical to our mission is the timely dissemination of information to policy makers, providers, and advocates. FCMU serves as a campuswide home for researchers and analysts interested in health care as it is experienced by Florida’s diverse, vulnerable and underserved populations.

The center advances its mission in a number of ways. First, the center actively pursues grants and contracts from national foundations and agencies to support the work of UF health services researchers interested in underserved populations. Second, the center serves as a resource to the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) for the study of issues pertaining to Florida’s Medicaid program state health policy. In this regard, the center engages in a contractual arrangement with AHCA to research issues that pertain to the development of policy options for Florida Medicaid. The dissemination of data, findings, and policy options to stakeholders is a key element of the center’s work. In addition to publication in major health services research journals, the center produces and distributes policy papers, issue briefs, and fact sheets. The center also holds periodic meetings and forums that engage Florida’s lawmakers, their staff, and other advocates in health policy debates. Critical to the expansion and sustainability of health services research is the development of younger researchers and analysts. The center is committed to serving as a research base for graduate students interested in low-income and vulnerable populations.