Changes to Florida’s KidCare Program Could Mean Up to 167,500 Children Lose Coverage

New rules requiring more detailed income documentation for families applying for KidCare -- an umbrella organization that includes three health plans for low-income children in Florida -- could result in 114,000 to 167,500 children losing coverage under the program as of July 1, the Tallahassee Democrat reports. According to Rose Naff, head of Healthy Kids, a not-for-profit group that runs KidCare, a recent study shows that up to half of children covered under similar programs in New York, Kansas, Oregon and other states lost coverage when parents were required to prove eligibility. According to the study, some children lost coverage because their families had incomes too high to qualify and also because of "administrative error, miscommunication and families having trouble complying with the procedures," the Democrat reports (Hirth, Tallahasse Democrat, 5/25). In addition, while KidCare coverage in the past had been continued regardless of whether parents renewed their applications on time, the new rules stipulate that children will lose coverage if their forms are not in by the six-month renewal date. There will be no appeals process for children who lose coverage, though the families can enroll again in January. Also, under legislation enacted in March, families with access to private health insurance through their employers are ineligible for KidCare, unless the cost of private insurance coverage for a dependent exceeds 5% of the family's income. The state had estimated in March that the changes could cause as many as 20,000 children to lose KidCare coverage (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 3/24).