UF Health Leesburg Hospital’s Commitment to the Community
The North Lake County Hospital District works for you and is accountable to you. For more than 50 years, it has been a safety net for our community. The District funds a portion of the cost of providing medical and mental health care for residents who don't have or can't afford medical insurance. It is funded by a surcharge on the value of commercial and residential properties within the District; for the average homeowner, that surcharge is about $10 a month.
Learn how the District affects you and your family.
The North Lake County Hospital District helps support healthcare and health maintenance for residents who otherwise could not pay for care.
The District and its funds are administered by a board of directors elected by the voters of the District. All board meetings are open to the public and District residents are welcome to attend, ask questions and participate in the decision-making process.
For those without health insurance, a hospital emergency room if often the only place they can receive treatment. That's bad for the patient and it's bad for our healthcare services, burdening overcrowded ERs and dramatically increasing the cost of treatment.
The District reimburses healthcare providers for care given to District residents who can't afford or don't have access to health insurance.
The District was formed—as were other districts throughout the state—to ensure that all residents have access to quality health care.
The Florida Legislature provided that the District could levy a 1 mill surcharge—or $1 per $1,000 of value—on property taxes for commercial and residential properties located in the District. You can read the law that created the district here.
The North Lake County Hospital District has existed in several forms for some 60 years. In 2012, the Florida State Legislature merged two previous districts and detailed how the District would be funded and managed.
Organizations were reimbursed by the District for medical, dental and mental health services in 2015.
Behavioral health is essential for community health. A recipient of funds from North Lake County Hospital District, LifeStream makes the promise of recovery from mental illness and addiction a reality. In 2015 alone, LifeStream enabled nearly 12,000 residents to reclaim their lives and take their first step toward hope. But the good that LifeStream does extends well beyond individuals to families, friends and coworkers, who live in the constant shadow of these life-consuming diseases and to their communities, which grow stronger each time a member embarks on the path to recovery.
The programs supported by the District include five community medical clinics and mental health services. By reducing the burden on our ERs, the clinics lower the cost of healthcare for everyone in the District. This means better access to emergency services and advanced care for all of us.
The District encompasses the northern portion of Lake County. Generally, if you live in Lake County and your property is north of the southern end of Little Lake Harris (Astatula, Howey in the Hills), you're in the District.
Organizations that applied for and received reimbursement for care provided to qualified residents in 2015 include: Florida Hospital Waterman, UF Health Leesburg Hospital, LifeStream Behavioral Center and Leesburg Family Health Center.
To qualify for help, you must be a resident of the District, not have health insurance and have income less than 200% of the Federal poverty level.
For the average Lake County homeowner, the District assessment added to their property tax is about $10 a month.