Children’s Health Insurance Coverage – Florida

Poor economy, better outreach means more kids enrolled in KidCare, By Richard Martin, September 13, 2010, St. Petersburg Times: “Fifteen months after Gov. Charlie Crist signed a law making it easier for low-income families to get health insurance for their children, more people are doing just that. Enrollment in the state’s KidCare program has increased more than 15 percent since then. The increase is coming in all parts of KidCare; children’s Medicaid, for the poorest families, now has more than 1.5 million enrollees. More than 255,000 are enrolled in the three levels of SCHIP (State Children’s Health Insurance Program), geared for families with more income. Officials say the law, which streamlined the application process, has played a key role. So has greater public outreach. But the poor economy is also a factor, with more people losing their jobs and their health benefits in the process. There’s enough money to enroll as many as 289,000 Florida children in the three SCHIP programs, and experts say the need is clear…”