You do not hire a case manager. You enroll, and one is assigned to you. Four doors lead to the same room: enroll at any Ryan White-funded provider, call your state HIV/AIDS program, use the HIV.gov services locator, or contact a local AIDS service organization[1]. Bring ID, proof of income, and diagnosis paperwork if you have them — and go anyway if you don't[5].
What a case manager actually does
A case manager is the person who makes the system make sense: appointments, medications, insurance, benefits paperwork, housing, food, transportation, referrals. HRSA says that at intake a case manager helps you understand what services you can get, apply for health care coverage, and find out whether you must pay any costs yourself[1].
In HRSA's formal definition, Medical Case Management, including Treatment Adherence Services, is “the provision of a range of client-centered activities focused on improving health outcomes in support of the HIV care continuum.” It may be delivered by an interdisciplinary team and includes every encounter type — face-to-face, phone, and other. Its named activities[2]:
- initial assessment of your service needs
- development of a comprehensive, individualized care plan
- “timely and coordinated access to medically appropriate levels of health and support services and continuity of care”
- continuous client monitoring, with re-evaluation of the care plan at least every 6 months
- ongoing assessment of your needs and your family's needs and support systems
- “treatment adherence counseling to ensure readiness for and adherence to complex HIV treatments”
- client-specific advocacy
It can also include benefits counseling to help you access Medicaid, Medicare Part D, state pharmacy assistance programs, manufacturer patient assistance programs, other state and local services, and Marketplace plans[2]. That six-month care-plan review is worth remembering: if your life has changed, you are entitled to a fresh look, not a lecture.
How to get assigned one — four doors, same room
- Enroll at a Ryan White-funded provider. HRSA publishes a Ryan White medical provider search tool alongside its list of covered services; case management is built into the program rather than being an extra you request[1].
- Call your state HIV/AIDS program. HRSA's own instruction is to “call your state HIV/AIDS toll-free phone number to find services near you”[1]. In Florida, the working number is the HIV/AIDS Section's Patient Care line, 850-245-4422[6].
- Use the HIV.gov locator. The HIV Testing Sites & Care Services Locator at locator.hiv.gov maps care and support services near you[4].
- Go through the site that tested you. HIV.gov notes that “your testing site may help connect you to HIV care right after you receive a diagnosis so you can start treatment as soon as possible,” and that a provider will connect you to other providers you may need[3].
Eligibility for Ryan White services is three questions: you are diagnosed with HIV or AIDS; you are low income based on where you live; and you have no insurance, or insurance that does not pay for the care you need[1].
Do not wait for the perfect appointment. HHS clinical guidelines recommend that people living with HIV start medical care and begin treatment as soon as possible after diagnosis, and treatment is recommended for everyone living with HIV regardless of how long they have had the virus or how healthy they feel. People who take HIV medicine as prescribed and maintain an undetectable viral load can live long, healthy lives and will not transmit HIV to their HIV-negative partners through sex[3].
Medical vs non-medical case management — and why the label matters
Ryan White funds case management at two levels. Medical Case Management, including Treatment Adherence Services, is a core medical service. Non-Medical Case Management Services is a support service[1].
Non-Medical Case Management (NMCM) is “the provision of a range of client-centered activities focused on improving access to and retention in needed core medical and support services,” providing “coordination, guidance, and assistance in accessing medical, social, community, legal, financial, employment, vocational, and/or other needed services.” It includes help obtaining Medicaid, CHIP, Medicare Part D, state pharmacy assistance programs, manufacturer assistance, Department of Labor or Education-funded services, and private coverage — through face-to-face, telehealth, phone, or any other form of communication[2].
The distinction, in HRSA's words: Medical Case Management activities “have as their objective improving health care outcomes,” while non-medical activities “have as their objective providing coordination, guidance and assistance in improving access to and retention in needed medical and support services to mitigate and eliminate barriers to HIV care services”[2]. Practically: if the problem is your health and your treatment, ask for medical case management. If the problem is paperwork, coverage, or getting through a door, non-medical case management is the right ask — and many programs staff both.
What your case manager can route you to under Ryan White includes housing, food bank and home-delivered meals, medical transportation, emergency financial assistance, mental health services, substance use outpatient care, oral health care, legal services, linguistic services, child care, psychosocial support, and referral for health care and support services[1]. Say the service name out loud — it moves faster than describing the problem.
What to bring to your first visit
Florida runs Part B eligibility through a formal application: the state instructs applicants, “You must complete and submit an Application to Receive Allowable Services to apply for services,” and notes that you can apply for assistance online[5]. The state's HIV case management guidelines point to the Florida HIV/AIDS Ryan White Part B Eligibility Procedures Manual for documentation standards[6].
A practical bag to pack — not a verbatim state list; exact requirements vary by county lead agency, so confirm locally:
- photo ID
- proof of address or residency
- proof of income (recent pay stubs, benefits letter, or a statement if you have no income)
- documentation of your HIV diagnosis, including lab results if you have them
- any insurance cards, including Medicaid or Medicare
- a written list of your medications and your other providers
- your questions — including the ones that feel too small to ask
If you are missing something, go anyway. Intake staff exist to help you fill gaps, and Broward County's answer to this problem is an entire program: Centralized Intake and Eligibility, 954-566-1417, which “provides information and assists people to become eligible for all County Ryan White services”[7]. Your case management record is confidential health information; Florida tracks client data in CAREWare under HIPAA and Department of Health privacy policy DOHP 50-10[6].
Florida: the Part B network, and the front doors that already exist
Florida Ryan White Part B operates “through consortia lead agencies to eligible clients to fill gaps in care for people living with HIV,” with consortiums that “plan, develop, and deliver comprehensive health and support services to meet the needs of people living with HIV.” The state names case management among covered services along with health and dental care, transportation, insurance premium assistance, housing, and medication[5]. Lead agencies are organized by county and area — ask the state line which one covers your county rather than guessing. We are not publishing a count of Florida lead agencies here, because no state source we checked stated one.
One number covers most state HIV programs: 850-245-4422. Florida's HIV/AIDS Section lists it for ADAP, ARTAS, HOPWA, the Ryan White Part B Patient Care Program, and TOPWA[6]. The ecosystem your case manager plugs into spans ADAP, state general revenue patient care, federal Part B, state and city HOPWA (including short-term rent, mortgage and utility assistance, tenant-based rental assistance, transitional housing, and permanent housing placement), Ryan White Parts A, C, and D, Medicaid, Medicare, the ACA Marketplace, Florida KidCare, Children's Medical Services, Healthy Start, ARTAS, county health departments with HIV/AIDS program coordinators, hospice, SSDI, SSI, SNAP, TANF, VA, WIC (1-800-342-3556), and TOPWA[6].
Two things often described wrongly, so you are not sent to the wrong place. TOPWA — Targeted Outreach for Pregnant Women Act, created in 1999 — is outreach and enrollment support, not formal case management: outreach workers find and enroll pregnant women who have not yet accessed adequate care, and help with prenatal care, HIV testing, family planning, and enrollment in ADAP and Medicaid. Funded programs operate in eight counties: Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Beach, Pinellas, and St. Lucie[8]. And Baby RxPress is a medication-access program, not case management — it provides HIV medication to HIV-exposed and HIV-positive newborns before they leave the hospital when families lack insurance, money, or transportation to a pharmacy[9].
Walk-in options. In Broward, start with CIED at 954-566-1417[7]. In Palm Beach County, the CAN Community Health clinic inside Compass Community Center in Lake Worth Beach, (561) 533-9699, offers HIV testing, PrEP education, and HIV care with walk-ins welcome, accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial insurance, and has Spanish- and Creole-speaking staff — a same-day way to get linked to care[10].
Related questions
How much does a case manager cost?
Case management is part of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, not a separate bill you negotiate. You generally qualify if you are diagnosed with HIV or AIDS, are low income for where you live, and have no insurance or insurance that does not cover the care you need. At intake, your case manager will help you understand which services you can get, apply for health coverage, and find out whether you owe any costs yourself.
What is the difference between medical and non-medical case management?
Medical case management is a Ryan White core medical service whose activities, in HRSA's words, have as their objective improving health care outcomes — care planning, monitoring, six-month care-plan re-evaluation, and treatment adherence counseling. Non-medical case management is a support service focused on coordination, guidance, and assistance in accessing medical, social, community, legal, financial, employment, and vocational services. Many programs provide both.
What should I bring to my first case management appointment?
Aim for photo ID, proof of address, proof of income, documentation of your HIV diagnosis, insurance cards, and a list of your medications and providers. Exact requirements vary by county lead agency, so confirm locally — and if you are missing something, go anyway. Intake staff help people fill gaps; in Broward County that is literally a dedicated program, Centralized Intake and Eligibility at 954-566-1417.
Is TOPWA a case management program in Florida?
No. TOPWA, the Targeted Outreach for Pregnant Women Act program created in 1999, is outreach and enrollment support. Outreach workers reach pregnant women who have not yet accessed adequate care and help with prenatal care, HIV testing, family planning, and enrollment in ADAP and Medicaid, in eight counties. For formal case management, enroll through a Ryan White Part B lead agency or call 850-245-4422.
Related from RiseUpToHIV
References & Sources
- HRSA Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program — Available Care and Services. Medical and non-medical case management categories, what a case manager does at intake, eligibility, the provider search tool, and the full list of covered services. ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩
- HRSA PCN 16-02 — Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Service Category Definitions. Verbatim definitions of Medical Case Management (including the six-month care-plan re-evaluation and benefits counseling) and Non-Medical Case Management. ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩
- HIV.gov — Locate an HIV Care Provider. Linkage to care from the testing site, and HHS guidance to start care and treatment as soon as possible after diagnosis. ↩ ↩
- HIV.gov — HIV Testing Sites & Care Services Locator. Federal map of testing, care, and support services by location. ↩
- Florida Department of Health — HIV/AIDS. Ryan White Part B consortia lead agencies, covered services including case management, and the Application to Receive Allowable Services. ↩ ↩ ↩
- Florida Department of Health — HIV Case Management Guidelines (2019). The 850-245-4422 line for ADAP, ARTAS, HOPWA, Part B patient care and TOPWA; the benefits ecosystem; CAREWare data handling under HIPAA and DOHP 50-10. ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩
- Legal Aid Service of Broward County — Ryan White Centralized Intake and Eligibility (CIED). CIED at 954-566-1417 as the single county front door for eligibility across all Broward Ryan White services. ↩ ↩
- Florida Department of Health — Perinatal HIV Prevention (TOPWA). TOPWA's 1999 origin, outreach and enrollment role, services offered, and the eight funded counties. ↩
- Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade — Perinatal HIV Services (Baby RxPress). Baby RxPress described as newborn HIV medication access before hospital discharge, not case management. ↩
- Compass LGBTQ+ Community Center — CAN Community Health Clinic. Walk-in HIV testing, PrEP education, and HIV care in Lake Worth Beach, with insurance accepted and Spanish/Creole-speaking staff. ↩
Community publications like POZ, Positively Aware, and TheBody inform framing and lived-experience context on RiseUpToHIV. Every clinical, epidemiological, or public-health claim above is anchored to a primary source.