CS/CS/HB 121, Florida Kidcare Program Eligibility, sponsored by Representative Robin Bartleman (D-Weston) and Representative Dana Trabulsy (R-Fort Pierce), has unanimously passed the chamber of the Florida House of Representatives. The Florida Kidcare Program provides health insurance coverage for families with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid. This bipartisan legislation expands eligibility for the Program, ushering in tens of thousands of working families and children.CS/CS/HB 121 increases eligibility for Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)-subsidized Kidcare programs to 300% of the federal poverty level (FPL). The bill requires the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation to establish new monthly premiums in three to six income-based tiers for enrollees in households over 150% FPL. The Senate companion bill, SB 246, sponsored by Senator Alexis Calatayud (R-Miami), has unanimously passed two of its three Senate Committees.
“Working families in Florida are struggling. They are struggling to put a roof over their head, pay for childcare and put food on the table. They are also struggling to afford health care for their children – their most precious asset,” said Representative Bartleman. “The current system abruptly takes away government benefits when they earn a few extra dollars by virtue of an employment promotion or pay raise. Passage of this bill will create a glide path to maintain health care insurance coverage for their children, a partisan effort to eliminate an onerous fiscal cliff for hard-working families.”
Representative Trabulsy explained, “Florida families are struggling to make a decision whether they should take a pay raise in their job or whether they should provide health care for their children. HB 121 opens the door for every family in Florida to have a pathway to prosperity without sacrificing the health of their children.”
Senator Calatayud indicated, “Too often employees turn down promotions because of the social benefit cliff of child healthcare affordability. With this policy, we help families afford to accept and pursue promotions, to continue their climb of upward mobility while making sure every child in our state has access to the quality healthcare every kid deserves.” She added, “This is a bill that champions working families – empowering hard-working families in our state to ascend past the need for government assistance sooner without making tradeoffs between keeping their children’s health insurance versus attaining long-term financial stability for generations to come.”
Speaker of the House Paul Renner (R-Palm Coast) offered, “I am proud to stand with Representatives Bartleman and Trabulsy to support Florida’s children and their families. By reforming Kidcare eligibility, we empower families with the tools they need to help their children grow up healthy and thrive.”
This is the third Legislative Session that Representative Bartleman has championed this legislation. She described its final passage as “a hand up, not a hand out.”
