The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) and Broward County Medical Subspecialty Referral Program is a structured, localized clinical pipeline that connects low-income, eligible individuals living with HIV to complex specialty medical care. Operating as an outpatient provider, AHF acts as the clinical point of entry, identifying patients who require specialized diagnostic or therapeutic services and routing them into Broward County’s centralized, federally supported payer network.

Funding Source:
Primary Resource: Federally funded through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part A Grant (broward.org).
Local Allocations: Part A funds are earmarked for Eligible Metropolitan Areas (EMAs) experiencing high burdens of HIV.

Administrative Oversight:
Local Grantee: The Broward County Government via the Community Partnerships Division (browardhivpc.org) serves as the administrative recipient managing the contract.
Contracted Provider: AHF administers the physical outpatient medical care, pharmacy services, and initial referral generation.

Regulatory Body:
Federal Level: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).Community Level: The Broward County HIV Health Services Planning Council (HIVPC), which sets the local service delivery models, priorities, and funding allocations.

Referral Loop:
Intake: A patient undergoes verification via the Centralized Intake and Eligibility Determination (CIED) program to receive a Notice of Eligibility.

Clinical Order: An AHF primary medical provider identifies a need for subspecialty care and submits a formal referral within the county's integrated electronic patient registry system.

Authorization: The TPA reviews the clinical request against local network availability and checks third-party insurance to ensure compliance with federal guidelines.

Closing the Loop: The authorized subspecialist performs the consult and returns clinical document notes to the originating AHF medical case manager/provider to ensure coordinated care continuity.

Scope of Coverage:
Inclusions: Outpatient diagnostic services, physical exams, and specialty treatments provided by licensed physicians. Cardiology, Endocrinology, Nephrology, Oncology, Neurology, Gastroenterology, and other medically necessary subspecialties. Specialized laboratory testing or diagnostic imaging related to the referral.

Exclusions: Inpatient hospitalization and emergency department visits. Urgent care clinic services. Any procedures or consults that are covered under primary care or are not deemed medically relevant to the patient's managed health plan.

Mandate: Payer of Last Resort: Under federal legislation, the program is statutorily mandated to serve as the payer of last resort. Part A funds can only be utilized for subspecialty visits if the client is uninsured, underinsured, or has completely exhausted all other public/private insurance options (e.g., Medicaid, Medicare, private plans).

Core Service Allocation: At least 75% of the total local Ryan White grant funding must be dedicated to core medical services, which includes subspecialty physician care.

In Broward County, eligibility determination is a highly regulated, standardized process designed to ensure that Ryan White funds strictly serve as the payer of last resort. Rather than fragmented verification across individual clinics, the county utilizes a single-entry model called Centralized Intake and Eligibility Determination (CIED) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) directly facilitates this process by hosting an official CIED site inside its Fort Lauderdale facility, guiding patients through the criteria, and integrating verification data into its clinical care network. Eligibility Criteria includes:

HIV Status: Verified through medical documentation such as a positive Western Blot, an RNA-PCR viral load test showing the presence of the virus, or an official Florida Department of Health Notice of Eligibility Letter. Anonymous test results are not accepted.

Broward County Residency: Verified by a current Florida driver’s license, utility bill, active lease agreement, or voter registration. Patients experiencing homelessness must present a shelter verification letter or equivalent documentation.

Household Income: Calculated based on the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). To access Integrated Primary Care, CIED, and Subspecialty Referrals, your income cannot exceed the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) Percentage of 400% $62920.
Support services like food vouchers or emergency financial assistance have a lower threshold (e.g., ≤ 300% or ≤ 150% FPL)

If you already get your regular HIV medical care at an AHF clinic in Broward County, your process is direct and handled mostly behind the scenes:

Talk to Your AHF Doctor: During your regular appointment, tell your AHF doctor about your medical issue. If they agree you need to see a specialist, they will write a medical request in the system.

AHF Checks Your Paperwork: An AHF case manager will check your file to make sure your Broward County Ryan White eligibility paperwork is up to date (it must be renewed every 6 to 12 months).

Financial Approval: AHF sends the request to Broward County’s financial partner, Community Care Plan (CCP). CCP double-checks that you don't have other insurance that should pay for it first.

Book Your Appointment: Once approved, AHF or CCP will give you the name and phone number of an approved specialist in Broward County. You can then call to schedule your visit.

If You Are NOT an AHF Patient and want to enroll with any of the Broward County AHF Healthcare Center:

If you do not see an AHF doctor for your regular care, you cannot get a specialist referral from them right away. However, you can still use AHF's offices to get help entering the county system:

Prove Your Eligibility: Before the county pays for a specialist, you must prove you qualify. AHF has a dedicated Eligibility Office (called CIED) inside its Fort Lauderdale clinic. You can walk in or make an appointment. You must bring: Proof of HIV status (a lab report)Proof that you live in Broward County (a utility bill or ID)Proof of income (pay stubs, tax forms, or a signed form stating you have no income)

Choose a Primary Doctor: Once the AHF eligibility worker approves your paperwork, you will receive a Notice of Eligibility (NOE) letter. You must then choose a regular HIV primary care doctor. You can choose to become an AHF patient, or pick another county-approved clinic.

See Your New Doctor for the Referral: You must visit your chosen primary care doctor first. That doctor will examine you, officially write the specialist referral, and submit it to the county for final approval.