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 [Read more…] about Representatives Bartleman and Trabulsy Pass Legislation in Florida House to Address Healthcare for Uninsured Children
Florida KidCare
Florida KidCare Reminds Parents to Check-In on Children’s Mental Health
Approaching children’s health from head-to-toe
Ahead of National Stress Awareness Day on November 7, Florida KidCare reminds parents that checking in on a child’s mental well-being is critical but does not have to be intimidating. [Read more…] about Florida KidCare Reminds Parents to Check-In on Children’s Mental Health
Add Peace of Mind to This Year’s Back to School List with Affordable Health and Dental Insurance
With less than a month before a new school year begins, Florida KidCare and its partners are reminding parents to take advantage of their child’s health care benefits or to sign them up for health and dental coverage. [Read more…] about Add Peace of Mind to This Year’s Back to School List with Affordable Health and Dental Insurance
Agency Statement on Deadline Extension for Florida’s CHIP Program
The Agency for Health Care Administration today released the following statement regarding the deadline extension for the CHIP program in Florida.
“Ensuring that children have access to health care is one of our Agency’s top priorities, and the state will do everything in our power to help these families in the wake of Hurricane Irma.
“If a family contacts Florida KidCare and informs them that they do not have the means to pay the monthly premium, which usually ranges from $15 to $20 a month, Florida KidCare works with that family to determine if they are eligible for a lower-cost health insurance or Medicaid.
“We will do everything possible to ensure that families who are working with the CHIP system have coverage for their children. We have extended the deadline once already due to Irma, and we will look at further extending the deadline should the need arise. Before the deadline extension, Florida KidCare received timely payments for over 214,000 children. Since the announcement of the extension deadline, 490 children have been reenrolled in the CHIP program after making their premium payment.
“We will work with every family to ensure there is NO lapse in coverage due to Hurricane Irma. During the first week of October, KidCare began reaching out to families by telephone, text, email, and letter and it is possible that more families will take advantage of the deadline extension. KidCare will continue to communicate with families throughout the month.”
To qualify for CHIP, families can have incomes between 133 percent and 200 percent of the poverty level. This means the children in a family of four would qualify with an annual income between $33,000 and $49,000. If a payment is made at any time in October the coverage would be retroactive back to October 1, ensuring NO lapse in coverage. Our Agency has estimated that it would cost the state about $7.4 million dollars to waive premiums for one month, and the cost to the state would double to $14.8 million or more to waive premiums for enrollees for October and November in the CHIP program in the 48 disaster-declared counties.
Our Agency is encouraging families who may have been affected to call 1-888-540-5437 today and talk with a Florida KidCare representative about making a payment or to discuss other coverage options if their income and size of household has recently changed.
Florida KidCare announces extended deadline for families impacted by Hurricane Irma
Florida KidCare state agency partners – the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, Florida Department of Health Children’s Medical Services, and Florida Healthy Kids Corporation – are providing an extended deadline for Florida KidCare families, who may have been impacted by Hurricane Irma, to pay their October insurance premiums.
Florida KidCare families who have not yet paid their premium for coverage beginning October 1, 2017 will have until October 31, 2017 to pay their monthly premium. This will provide additional time for families to make their payment and ensure their children have access to healthcare during this time of recovery. Families who pay their premiums by the October 31 deadline will have coverage restored back to October 1.
Families eligible for the premium payment extension must live in one of the 48 counties designated by the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) as eligible for individual assistance: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Union and Volusia.
The extended deadline covers three Florida KidCare programs:
- MediKids: Subsidized and full-pay coverage for children ages 1 through 4.
- Florida Healthy Kids: Subsidized and full-pay coverage for children ages 5 through 18.
- Children’s Medical Services Managed Care Plan (CMS Plan): Subsidized coverage for children with special health care needs from birth through age 18.
The payment extension does not apply to Florida KidCare children enrolled in Medicaid because these children receive free coverage and do not pay a monthly premium. All renewal periods for Florida KidCare, including Medicaid, have been extended.
