Start with a ZIP code and a free federal locator. HIV.gov's HIV Testing Sites & Care Services Locator returns HIV medical care, testing, housing, mental health, and substance use services near you[1]. For sliding-scale primary care, use HRSA's Find a Health Center[2]. If you just tested positive, ask the testing site to link you into care the same day — that is the fastest route[1]. Search now in our locator.
Step one: use a free federal locator
Three government tools cover almost every route into HIV care, and all three need nothing but a ZIP code. HIV.gov's locator searches HIV medical care, HIV testing, housing assistance, substance use services, and mental health services in one pass[1]. It also runs as a standalone tool at locator.hiv.gov, which indexes testing services, housing providers, health centers, and other service providers[3].
HRSA's Find a Health Center covers the wider primary-care network: roughly 1,400 health centers operating more than 16,200 service sites across every U.S. state and territory and the District of Columbia, in cities, rural counties, and everywhere in between[2]. If a clinic search comes up thin where you live, widen the radius before you assume there is nothing nearby.
Which kind of clinic fits your situation
Ryan White–funded sites are the safety net. Eligibility rests on three things: an HIV diagnosis, low income as defined by your city, county, state, or clinic, and having no insurance or insurance that does not pay for the care you need[4]. Search these at findhivcare.hrsa.gov.
Community health centers and FQHCs are the sliding-scale option, and they bundle primary care and dental care alongside HIV care. Health Center Program award recipients are required to charge on a sliding fee scale based on ability to pay[5].
Your current doctor may already be an option. Ask your primary care provider whether they treat HIV; if they do not, they can refer you to a clinician who specializes in HIV care[1].
Two more locators worth trying
CDC's Let's Stop HIV Together locator maps sexual health testing, treatment, and prevention services — including PrEP, PEP, and condoms — plus other support services near you, and it can send you a free self-test kit[6].
When you specifically want a clinician whose named specialty is HIV, use the American Academy of HIV Medicine's Referral Link directory. It lists providers specializing in HIV management and prevention who practice in health centers, Ryan White clinics, and private practices[1], and you search it by ZIP code plus a distance radius[7].
What to ask on the first call
Ask four things: do you take new clients living with HIV, do you have an eligibility or intake worker, what should I bring, and what will this cost me. An HIV care provider prescribes and monitors your HIV medication, manages your overall health, and connects you with case managers and other members of your care team[1].
Do not let the cost question stop the call. Health centers serve people regardless of ability to pay, adjust fees according to income and family size, and will not turn you away because you are uninsured or cannot afford to pay[1] — the sliding fee scale is a program requirement, not a favor[5]. And book early: federal guidance is to start medical care and HIV 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[1].
Finding a clinic in Florida
Florida's Ryan White Part B program delivers services through 14 lead agencies serving eligible clients in all Florida counties, so there is a Part B door in every part of the state[8]. The fastest local starting point is the Florida HIV/AIDS Hotline: 1-800-352-2437 (Spanish 1-800-545-7432, Haitian Creole 1-800-2437-101, TTY/TDD 1-888-503-7118), open Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–9 p.m. and Saturday 10:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m.[8]
In Miami-Dade, the county health department provides testing, counseling, referrals, PrEP and PEP locator help, and free at-home HIV test kits for county residents, with results in as little as 20 minutes[9]. In Broward, the county health department arranges free, confidential testing through partner agencies and mails free HIV and syphilis self-test kits — request one at 954-847-8132[10]. Use the county health department pages directly; older vanity testing domains for Miami and Broward no longer resolve reliably.
Related questions
Can I get HIV care if I have no insurance?
Yes. Ryan White–funded clinics exist for exactly this situation — eligibility is based on an HIV diagnosis, low income by local criteria, and having no insurance or insurance that does not cover the care you need. Federally funded health centers are also required to charge on a sliding fee scale based on your ability to pay, and they will not turn you away because you cannot pay.
What is the difference between a Ryan White clinic and a community health center?
A Ryan White clinic is HIV-specific and funded to fill gaps other payers leave, including medications and support services. A community health center is a general primary-care site with a required sliding fee scale that usually also offers dental care. Many places are both.
Do I need an HIV specialist, or can my regular doctor treat HIV?
Either can work. Ask your primary care provider whether they treat HIV; if not, they can refer you. If you want a clinician whose named specialty is HIV, the American Academy of HIV Medicine Referral Link directory is searchable by ZIP code and radius.
How soon after a positive test should I start care?
As soon as possible. Federal guidance is to begin medical care and HIV treatment right away, and treatment is recommended for everyone living with HIV. The testing site can often link you into care the same day, which is the fastest path there is.
Related from RiseUpToHIV
References & Sources
- HIV.gov — Locate an HIV Care Provider. The ZIP-code locator and the service categories it returns; same-day linkage from testing sites; asking a primary care provider for a referral; what an HIV care provider does; sliding fees at health centers; starting treatment as soon as possible; the AAHIVM Referral Link description. ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩
- HRSA — Find a Health Center. About 1,400 HRSA-funded health centers operating more than 16,200 service sites nationwide. ↩ ↩
- HIV.gov — HIV Testing Sites & Care Services Locator. The standalone locator tool covering testing services, housing providers, health centers, and other service providers. ↩
- HRSA Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program — Available Care and Services. Ryan White eligibility: HIV diagnosis, low income by local criteria, and no insurance or insurance that does not cover needed care. ↩
- HRSA — Health Center Program Award Recipients and FQHCs. Award recipients are required to provide care on a sliding fee scale based on ability to pay. ↩ ↩
- CDC Let's Stop HIV Together — Find HIV Services Near You. Locator for testing, treatment, and prevention services including PrEP, PEP, and condoms, plus free self-test kits. ↩
- American Academy of HIV Medicine — Referral Link Directory. Searchable by ZIP code plus a distance radius to find HIV-credentialed clinicians. ↩
- Florida Department of Health — HIV/AIDS Patient Care. Ryan White Part B services delivered through 14 lead agencies covering all Florida counties, and the Florida HIV/AIDS Hotline numbers and hours. ↩ ↩
- Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County — HIV/AIDS Services. Testing, counseling, referrals, PrEP and PEP locator help, and free at-home test kits for county residents. ↩
- Florida Department of Health in Broward County — HIV Counseling and Testing. Free confidential testing through partner agencies and free HIV and syphilis self-test kits by phone request at 954-847-8132. ↩
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.