The Florida Healthy Kids Corporation (Corporation) today celebrates that 2019-2020 fiscal year legislative budget negotiations have included funding for a proposal submitted by the Corporation to lower the cost of health insurance for families in its full-pay program. Families earning a household annual income above 200% of the federal poverty limit or $51,500 for a family of four are potentially eligible for the full-pay plan. This proposal eliminates costly $3,000 medical and $1,500 pharmacy annual deductibles, along with a 25% coinsurance requirement, for the nearly 15,000 children ages 5-18 who are currently enrolled in the Florida Healthy Kids full-pay insurance plan. Additionally, an estimated 146,000 uninsured children in Florida stand to benefit from this more affordable insurance option, which is set to become effective January 1, 2020.
Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis said, “Every child in our state deserves access to vital health services and adding Florida Healthy Kids to this year’s budget is a big win for Florida families. Many more kids will now be able to access health care, and I thank Senate President Galvano and Speaker Oliva for including this in the budget. Dr. Haridopolos has been a true advocate on this issue, and I will continue to work side-by-side with her to fight for child-centric health insurance for those who need it. Families deserve peace of mind to know their kids have access to affordable, quality health care.”
