Jacksonville health updates: Florida Blue contract clarity, ER expansion, drought rules, measles counts
Jacksonville, FL – March 4, 2026 – Florida Blue members get clarity on Cleveland Clinic coverage, ER expansions advance, and measles remains on the radar.
Health insurance: Florida Blue and Cleveland Clinic reach agreement
Jacksonville-based insurer Florida Blue and Cleveland Clinic Florida announced Feb. 27 that they secured a new agreement that keeps Cleveland Clinic providers in-network for Florida Blue members in several major plan categories. Cleveland Clinic said the deal covers employer-sponsored plans, Health Insurance Marketplace coverage and Medicare Advantage.
The update follows late-February reporting that a contract deadline was approaching and that in-network access could be at risk without a new deal. Florida Blue previously said coverage was guaranteed through May while talks continued.
Hospitals and emergency care: new sites and major campus projects
A Northeast Florida development roundup published Feb. 27 described more than $1 billion in regional health care investments across Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties, including projects tied to emergency access and patient flow. The report noted HCA Florida Memorial Hospital opened its first freestanding emergency room on Merrill Road in Arlington earlier this year and highlighted HCA Florida St. Augustine Emergency in St. Johns County, which held a ribbon-cutting Feb. 23.
The same update described Baptist Health projects underway or planned on the Downtown Southbank campus, including the McGehee Family Tower emergency-care expansion and a planned inpatient rehabilitation facility managed by Brooks Rehabilitation as a joint venture.
Public health and utilities: Phase 1 water shortage declaration in St. Johns County
With extreme drought conditions across the region, St. Johns County reported Feb. 26 that the St. Johns River Water Management District implemented a Phase 1 Water Shortage declaration. The county said the declaration emphasizes voluntary conservation and public awareness while maintaining the current once-per-week irrigation schedule.
The county also pointed to ongoing investments in water reclamation facilities designed to treat wastewater for reuse in irrigation, as part of longer-range planning to reduce demand on potable supplies.
Outbreak watch: Florida measles counts continue to climb
Statewide measles tallies have continued moving upward in late February. A CBS Miami report citing Florida Department of Health surveillance said Florida’s 2026 measles diagnoses rose from 92 cases on Feb. 14 to 114 cases on Feb. 21, with Duval and St. Johns among the counties that have reported cases this year.
Nationally, the CDC’s measles surveillance page updated Feb. 20 reported 982 confirmed cases in the United States as of Feb. 19, with most cases linked to outbreaks.
Sources
https://newsroom.clevelandclinic.org/2026/02/27/cleveland-clinic-and-florida-blue-secure-new-agreement
https://www.wusf.org/health-news-florida/2026-02-26/florida-blue-cleveland-clinic-florida-face-sunday-deadline-to-reach-new-contract
https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2026/feb/27/part-i-northeast-florida-health-care-development-update/
https://www.wokv.com/news/local/st-johns-county-declares-water-shortage-asks-public-reduce-watering-amid-extreme-drought/4JID6OZFKZEF5CQDU2UNKYONUM/
https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/miami/news/florida-measles-cases-jump-third-most-in-country/
https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html
If you have urgent symptoms, seek medical care. For general questions, talk with a licensed clinician.
