Florida Gubernatorial Candidate Janet Reno Proposes Expanding CHIP Income Limits

Former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno (D), who is seeking the Democratic nomination to run for governor of Florida, on Aug. 13 announced her plans to expand health care coverage for children, the Orlando Sentinel reports. During campaign stops in Gainesville and Tallahassee, Reno proposed raising the annual income limit for the state's CHIP program, called the Florida KidCare Program, from 200% of the federal poverty level to 300%, or from $36,200 to $54,000 for a family of four. Reno said the eligibility expansion would cost the state $152 million. "All of our children should be covered," she said. Reno also called for increasing eligibility limits for the state's Medicaid program to $36,000 a year, which would cost the state an estimated $128 million. She also advocates allowing small businesses to band together to negotiate rates and purchase health insurance for their employees (Silva, Orlando Sentinel, 8/14). To fund the coverage expansions, Reno said the state could join other states and use their combined leverage to negotiate with health plans and purchase prescription drugs (AP/St. Petersburg Times, 8/14). Reno said that expanding health coverage also would cut costs for the state because better health care will reduce the number of uninsured residents who seek more costly emergency room care. Eliminating Medicaid fraud also would help cover the expansion costs, she said (Orlando Sentinel, 8/14).

Reaction
A spokesperson for Gov. Jeb Bush (R), who is running unopposed in the Republican primary, called Reno's plan "unrealistic," the AP/Times reports. "I though that the Democrats would have learned by now that the public has no stomach for massive government-run health care programs," Todd Harris, a Bush spokesperson, said (AP/St. Petersburg Times, 8/14). Health care advocates, however, called Reno's plan "worthy." Budd Bell, a social-services advocate campaigning for Reno, said, "If the governor had a health plan, I'd say he'd have a right to criticize others" (Orlando Sentinel, 8/14).