Finding quality healthcare when money is tight, or when you simply do not have insurance, can feel like trying to solve a puzzle with half the pieces missing. For residents of Brevard County, Florida, that puzzle has a clear answer: Brevard Health Alliance (BHA).
In a single year, BHA served more than 62,000 patients. It reaches homeless residents living on the streets, uninsured families stretching every dollar, and working adults who fall into the gap between “too much income for Medicaid” and “not enough for private insurance.” It does all of this from multiple clinic locations spread across the county, plus a mobile health unit that drives directly to where underserved patients live and sleep.
This guide covers everything you need to know about Brevard Health Alliance: what it is, what primary care and specialty services it provides, how the sliding-fee scale works in plain language, which insurance plans are accepted, how to become a new patient, and why this community health center is unlike any other healthcare provider in Brevard County.
What Is Brevard Health Alliance?
Brevard Health Alliance, Inc. is Brevard County’s only Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). It is a private, not-for-profit community health organization that has been delivering comprehensive primary care and preventive health services to Brevard County residents since March 7, 2005.
That founding date matters. For over two decades, BHA has been filling a gap that market-rate healthcare simply does not address: people who need a doctor, regardless of what is in their bank account.
What makes BHA structurally different from a typical medical group is its community board of directors. More than half of those board members are actual patients of BHA’s clinics. This is not a health system run by executives who have never sat in one of its waiting rooms. The people making decisions about patient care have personally received that care. It is an accountability model that puts community health outcomes, not revenue margins, at the center of every decision.
BHA’s mission is to improve the health status of Brevard County by providing a medical home where all patients receive high-quality care in a timely manner, with a full commitment to ensuring every patient is heard, encouraged, and respected throughout their care experience.
What “Federally Qualified Health Center” Actually Means for You
The FQHC designation gets mentioned frequently, but almost no one explains what it actually means for a patient walking through BHA’s doors. Here is the plain-language version.
Federal funding enables lower costs. BHA receives grant funding through the Health Center Program under federal law (42 U.S.C. 254b). This funding subsidizes care for medically underserved populations, which is how BHA can offer income-based discounted fees while still employing board-certified physicians, licensed dentists, and credentialed behavioral health specialists.
You are protected by federal malpractice coverage. BHA is an FTCA Deemed Facility, meaning it operates as a deemed Public Health Service employee under federal law (42 U.S.C. 233(g)-(n)). BHA and its healthcare providers are covered under the Federal Tort Claims Act for malpractice claims, signaling a level of federal oversight and accountability that not every community clinic can offer.
340B drug pricing means significantly cheaper prescriptions. BHA operates in-house pharmacies that participate in the 340B Drug Pricing Program, a federal initiative that allows qualifying health centers to purchase outpatient medications at substantially reduced costs. Patients filling prescriptions at a BHA pharmacy typically pay far less than they would at a retail pharmacy chain.
You do not need to prove financial hardship to receive care here. This is one of the most common misconceptions about Federally Qualified Health Centers. BHA welcomes patients at every income level. Uninsured patients access discounted fees through the sliding-fee scale. Insured patients use their coverage exactly as they would at any other medical practice. The FQHC model creates a safety net without restricting access only to those below a certain income threshold.
Full List of Healthcare Services at Brevard Health Alliance
BHA is not a single-service urgent care clinic. It is a comprehensive patient-centered medical home, meaning most of what a patient needs from a full healthcare system can be found within the BHA network. Here is a complete breakdown of available services.
Family Medicine and Primary Care
BHA’s family medicine and internal medicine providers handle the full spectrum of adult primary care, including annual wellness exams, chronic disease management for conditions such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, COPD, and cardiovascular disease, acute sick visits, preventive screenings, and routine immunizations. Board-certified physicians work alongside advanced practice registered nurse practitioners and physician assistants to ensure every patient sees a qualified, credentialed provider.
Pediatrics and Pediatric Walk-In Care
Children receive well-child visits, childhood immunizations, developmental screenings, and treatment for common acute illnesses. BHA also offers extended-hours pediatric walk-in care, giving parents a same-day option for sick children without the financial burden of a hospital emergency room visit. For uninsured families, this service can save hundreds of dollars per incident compared to ER-level billing.
Women’s Health and OB/GYN Services
Comprehensive women’s healthcare at BHA includes gynecological exams, Pap smears, prenatal care and obstetric services, family planning and contraception counseling, STI testing and treatment, and menopause management. BHA’s women’s health team is equipped to support female patients across every stage of life, from adolescence through postpartum care and beyond.
Behavioral Health and Mental Health Services
Mental health is treated with the same clinical priority as physical health at BHA. The behavioral health department provides individual therapy and counseling, psychiatric evaluations, psychotropic medication management, psychology services, and integrated care coordination with primary care physicians. Treating mental and physical health as interconnected systems rather than separate ones is a defining feature of BHA’s whole-person care model.
Dental Care
Oral health is frequently the first thing people sacrifice when healthcare costs become unmanageable. BHA provides routine dental cleanings, cavity fillings, tooth extractions, emergency dental care, and patient education on preventive oral hygiene practices. Affordable dental services are available to established BHA patients, making routine dental care accessible to populations that might otherwise go years without professional dental treatment.
Hepatitis C and HIV Services
BHA provides a full continuum of hepatitis C and HIV clinical services including diagnostic testing, antiviral treatment, HIV medical care and ongoing monitoring, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), sexually transmitted infection screening and treatment, and community prevention education. These services address documented public health needs across Brevard County’s diverse residential and transient populations.
340B In-House Pharmacy Services
Multiple BHA clinic locations operate on-site pharmacies participating in the federal 340B drug pricing program. Patients can fill prescriptions the same day they see a provider at costs substantially below retail pharmacy prices. Licensed pharmacists are available to counsel patients on medication use, dosing schedules, and potential drug interactions.
Senior Care and Geriatric Primary Care
BHA offers dedicated senior care services for older adults managing multiple chronic conditions, requiring ongoing primary care, or seeking preventive health maintenance. As Brevard County’s population continues to age, with one of Florida’s higher concentrations of retirees and older adults, accessible and affordable geriatric-friendly primary care is an increasingly critical community health resource.
Adult Walk-In Care
Established BHA patients can access adult walk-in care at select clinic locations for non-emergency medical concerns. Minor infections, injuries, skin conditions, and routine follow-up needs can often be addressed on the same day without waiting several days for a scheduled appointment slot.
Specialty Services: Diabetes Management and Podiatry
BHA’s specialty care offerings include structured diabetes management programs and podiatry services. These two specialties are clinically interconnected: diabetic neuropathy and circulatory complications make foot health a serious ongoing concern for patients managing type 2 diabetes. Having both diabetes care and podiatry available within the same affordable community health network helps prevent complications that, left untreated, can lead to hospitalizations or lower-limb amputations.
Preventive Wellness Services
BHA’s wellness programming includes preventive health screenings, registered dietitian nutritional counseling, and lifestyle modification support. The focus is on helping patients maintain good health before problems require costly intervention, shifting care from reactive treatment to proactive prevention.
How BHA’s Sliding Fee Scale Works: A Step-by-Step Explanation
This is the section that most articles about BHA skip entirely, and it is the one that uninsured and underinsured Brevard County residents most need to understand.
BHA’s sliding fee scale is a federally structured income-based discount program that adjusts the cost of care based on a patient’s total household income and family size. The income thresholds are calibrated against the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) published annually by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Step 1: Determine your eligibility. If your total household income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guideline, you qualify for a discounted fee. Patients with income above 200% FPG pay the standard rate. The exact discount tiers are set annually by BHA’s Board of Directors and approved by the federal government, so the specific copay amounts are adjusted each year.
Step 2: Gather your income documentation. To complete the sliding fee application, you need to provide proof of income. Acceptable documentation typically includes recent pay stubs, a current-year federal tax return, or documentation of benefit income such as Social Security or disability payments. If you have no income at all, bring documentation confirming that status. BHA’s registration counselors will guide you through what is needed for your specific situation.
Step 3: Complete registration with a BHA Registration Counselor. The sliding fee application is completed as part of the standard BHA registration process. A single application covers all medically necessary services: primary medical visits, dental care, behavioral health and counseling appointments, pharmacy prescriptions, and obstetric and gynecological care. Separate applications by department are not required.
Step 4: Understand your cost. Sliding-fee medical visits start at $10 per visit. Your specific copay is determined by where your total household income falls on the fee schedule. If your income or family composition changes at any point during the year, inform BHA and your fee level will be reassessed to reflect your current situation.
Step 5: Plan for annual renewal. The sliding fee application is reviewed annually in alignment with updated federal poverty guidelines. Because income thresholds are revised each year, your fee status may be recalibrated during the renewal process.
The sliding-fee discount applies across a broad range of BHA services including routine primary care visits, chronic disease management appointments, preventive screenings and immunizations, mental health counseling and psychiatric medication management, prescriptions filled at BHA pharmacies, preventive and restorative dental care, and prenatal and obstetric visits throughout pregnancy.
For any Brevard County resident who has delayed or avoided medical care because of cost concerns, the sliding-fee program means that financial limitations are not a sufficient reason to skip care at BHA.
Insurance Plans Accepted at Brevard Health Alliance
BHA is not exclusively for uninsured patients. Patients with health insurance use their coverage at BHA just as they would at any other medical practice, and BHA bills the insurance carrier directly. Currently accepted insurance plans include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Florida KidCare, Health First Health Plans, Medicaid, Medicare, United Health Care, and additional commercial and managed care plans.
Because insurance contracts and accepted plan networks change periodically, calling BHA at (321) 241-6800 before your first visit is the most reliable way to confirm that your specific plan is currently accepted. BHA staff can verify your coverage and explain your expected copay or cost-sharing obligations before you arrive for your appointment.
Patients also have the right to request a Good Faith Estimate of their anticipated charges at least three business days before a scheduled appointment, providing transparent advance notice of expected visit costs with no surprises at checkout.
BHA’s Mobile Health Unit: Bringing Primary Care to Where Patients Are
One of the least-publicized dimensions of Brevard Health Alliance is also one of its most impactful: a mobile health unit that delivers primary medical and dental care directly to patients who face the greatest barriers to accessing a fixed clinic location.
The mobile unit operates Monday through Friday across rotating sites throughout Brevard County. Its schedule is published monthly on BHA’s website and updated regularly. Service sites include homeless shelters, soup kitchens, transitional housing facilities, street outreach locations, and drop-in centers. The guiding principle is direct: bring professional medical care to residents where they currently are, rather than requiring vulnerable populations to navigate transportation barriers or access challenges to reach a physical clinic.
BHA currently provides mobile health services to approximately 2,500 Brevard County residents experiencing homelessness. The unit is fully equipped with electronic medical records and has real-time access to lab work and diagnostic results through BHA’s integrated clinical network. A patient seen by the mobile health unit receives the same quality and continuity of care as a patient sitting in a fixed clinic exam room. Their health records travel with them through the BHA system.
Mobile health services include family medicine and primary care visits, dental services, chronic disease management, referrals to behavioral health services, and connection to BHA’s pharmacy and specialty service network. The mobile unit is a professionally staffed, fully equipped point of care delivery, not simply a health screening tent or resource referral table.
To find the current mobile clinic schedule or get location information, visit brevardhealth.org or call (321) 914-5864.
Brevard Health Alliance Clinic Locations and Hours
BHA operates multiple fixed-site community health clinics across Brevard County in addition to the mobile health unit.
Sarno Road, Melbourne (Flagship Clinic) at 2120 Sarno Rd, Melbourne, FL 32935 is BHA’s most comprehensive single location, offering adult medicine, pediatrics, behavioral health, dental care, women’s health and OB/GYN services, and an on-site 340B pharmacy under one roof.
Evans Center, Palm Bay at 1361 Florida Ave NE, Suite 2, Palm Bay, FL 32905 is a full-service community health clinic serving Palm Bay’s large residential population, with strong patient satisfaction ratings across multiple review platforms.
Additional fixed clinic locations operate in Port St. John, Rockledge, Titusville, and Malabar, providing geographic coverage across the full north-to-south length of Brevard County’s Space Coast corridor.
BHA’s administrative headquarters and the BHA Foundation office are located at 4315 Woodland Park Dr., Melbourne, FL 32904 in West Melbourne.
Standard clinic hours across most locations are Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Hours and available services vary by location and may change seasonally. Calling ahead or checking the BHA website before your visit is always recommended to confirm current availability.
How to Become a New Patient at Brevard Health Alliance
Registering as a new BHA patient is more straightforward than most people expect, and there are two easy ways to get started.
You can call (321) 241-6800, BHA’s main scheduling line, and a staff member will guide you through the registration process and book your first appointment. Alternatively, BHA uses the Healow patient portal for online appointment scheduling. Visit brevardhealth.org and select “Schedule Now” to book at your preferred clinic location.
For your first visit, bring a valid government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license, state ID card, or passport. Also bring your Social Security card or number, your insurance card if you have coverage, and income documentation if you plan to apply for the sliding-fee scale program.
When you arrive, a BHA Registration Counselor will complete your enrollment, determine your sliding-fee eligibility if applicable, review your patient rights and responsibilities, and establish your health record within BHA’s electronic medical records system. From that appointment forward, you have a dedicated primary care team and a medical home.
BHA operates as a patient-centered medical home, a recognized healthcare delivery model in which the focus extends beyond treating illness after it occurs to building a continuous, coordinated relationship between patient and provider. Your BHA care team manages your preventive care calendar, coordinates specialist referrals when needed, tracks chronic conditions over time, and ensures that your whole-health picture remains the priority. It is primary care functioning as it was designed to function.
The BHA Foundation: Expanding Community Health Access
Behind BHA’s clinical operations, the BHA Foundation serves as the philanthropic arm that extends what the health center can accomplish beyond what federal grants and insurance reimbursements alone can fund. The Foundation partners with individual donors, Brevard County businesses, and community organizations to invest in program expansions, patient experience improvements, and healthcare access initiatives that strengthen community health outcomes countywide.
BHA’s long-standing partnership with Health First, Brevard County’s major regional hospital system, has continued for more than 15 years. Health First collaborates with BHA through its community Wellness Grant program and supports BHA’s delivery of primary and preventive care to residents who might not otherwise access the larger hospital-based healthcare system. The partnership represents a productive model in which a safety-net community health center and a major health system reinforce each other’s public health mission rather than operating in isolation from one another.
Donations to the BHA Foundation are tax-deductible and can be directed to 4315 Woodland Park Dr., Melbourne, FL 32904. Contributions at any level help expand access to affordable healthcare for Brevard County’s most vulnerable residents.
Frequently Asked Questions About Brevard Health Alliance
Do I need health insurance to become a patient at Brevard Health Alliance?
No. BHA accepts patients regardless of insurance status. Uninsured patients qualify for income-based discounted fees through the sliding-fee scale program. The absence of health insurance is not a barrier to receiving medical, dental, or behavioral health care at any BHA clinic location.
What is the lowest cost for a visit at BHA?
Medical visit fees through the sliding-fee scale start at $10 per visit. Your actual copay depends on your household income relative to the current Federal Poverty Guidelines. Bring income documentation to your registration appointment so your fee level can be determined accurately at the time of enrollment.
Does Brevard Health Alliance accept walk-in patients?
Yes, with distinctions by service type. BHA offers extended-hours pediatric walk-in care for children and adult walk-in care at select locations for established patients with non-emergency medical needs. New patients seeking primary care enrollment are encouraged to call (321) 241-6800 to schedule a registration appointment in advance.
Is Brevard Health Alliance only for low-income or uninsured patients?
No. BHA serves Brevard County residents across all income levels and insurance situations. Insured patients are billed through their insurance carrier exactly as at any other clinic. Patients with financial hardship or no insurance access the sliding-fee discount program. The FQHC model is designed to function as a community-wide medical home, not as a clinic restricted to one economic demographic.
What languages does BHA support?
BHA serves a diverse patient population throughout Brevard County. Spanish-language patient registration materials are available at clinic locations. For specific language access needs, call (321) 241-6800 before your appointment to confirm what accommodations are currently available at your nearest location.
How do I find out where the BHA mobile health unit will be?
The mobile clinic operates Monday through Friday on a rotating schedule that is published monthly on the BHA website at brevardhealth.org. You can also call (321) 914-5864 for current mobile clinic locations and scheduling. The unit serves homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and transitional housing facilities throughout Brevard County.
What is the 340B pharmacy program and how does it benefit BHA patients?
The federal 340B Drug Pricing Program allows eligible health centers like BHA to purchase outpatient medications at significantly reduced costs. BHA passes these savings directly to patients through its in-house pharmacies at multiple clinic locations. Prescriptions filled at a BHA pharmacy typically cost substantially less than equivalent prescriptions filled at a retail chain pharmacy, making medication adherence more financially manageable for patients managing chronic conditions.
Can I access behavioral health or mental health services at BHA without a separate referral?
BHA integrates behavioral health services within its primary care model. When registering or scheduling your first appointment, note your behavioral health needs and the care team will coordinate appropriate services within BHA’s integrated system. Call (321) 241-6800 to discuss current intake procedures for mental health and counseling services at your nearest location.
Conclusion
Brevard Health Alliance has spent more than two decades demonstrating that high-quality, comprehensive healthcare and genuine community access are not competing priorities. They are the same priority.
With over 62,000 patients served annually, clinics positioned across the full geographic length of Brevard County, a mobile health unit serving thousands of homeless residents each year, in-house 340B pharmacies, integrated behavioral health services, and a sliding-fee scale where visits start at $10, BHA represents a healthcare model that most systems only describe in mission statements but rarely deliver in practice.
For any Brevard County resident who needs a primary care physician, a pediatrician, an affordable dentist, a mental health provider, or a lower-cost prescription, and who has delayed seeking that care because of financial concerns, Brevard Health Alliance is the place to start.
Call (321) 241-6800 or visit brevardhealth.org to schedule your first appointment or register as a new patient today.
Brevard Health Alliance is a Health Center Program grantee under 42 U.S.C. 254b and a deemed Public Health Service employee under 42 U.S.C. 233(g)-(n). Services, hours, and accepted insurance plans are subject to change. Always confirm current details directly with BHA before your visit.
