Miami Children’s Hospital doctor administering a vaccine. Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
The families of more than 48,000 children in 22 counties damaged by Hurricane Helene won’t have to worry about paying their Florida KidCare premiums this month.
The Florida Healthy Kids Corporation (FHKC) Board of Directors agreed on Thursday to waive the required monthly premiums for families living in Charlotte, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Franklin, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lee, Leon, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, Suwannee, Taylor, and Wakulla counties.
Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos is the chair of the Florida Healthy Kids Corp. Board of Directors, via USF College of Public Health
“Our hearts go out to those impacted by Hurricane Helene, and Florida KidCare families can count on us to keep their children covered with the critical health care coverage they need while they work to rebuild and recover,” Board Chair Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos said in a prepared statement.
She went on to thank Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis for supporting the move. “Today’s action provides immediate relief to those in need,” she said.
The board agreed to waive October premiums for families with subsidized health insurance coverage as well as full-pay coverage. Premiums for Florida KidCare are collected one month in advance of the coverage. That means the October premium is to cover the costs of the health care policy for November
Families who require assistance beyond one month can contact the Florida KidCare call center.
Not the first time
Florida KidCare is the name of Florida’s Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP. It’s an optional Medicaid expansion program in the state for children aged 5-18 whose families earn too much to qualify for the traditional Medicaid program.
Unlike traditional Medicaid, which is free for enrollees, Florida KidCare enrollees who qualify for a subsidized plan are required to pay a small monthly premium; according to the website, it’s $15 or $20 a month per household. They also are required to make co-payments for services,
But families lose access to the subsidized health insurance plan once their income exceeds 200% of the federal poverty level, or $40,880 for a family of two. Those families can still qualify for Florida KidCare, but they pay full cost of the plan, which exceeds $200 per month per child, and co-payments for services.
This is not the first time the premiums have been waived, but the decision follows a controversial one by then Gov. Rick Scott in 2017 not to waive the payment requirements after Hurricane Irma crashed into the state.
Instead of waiving the premiums as Gov. Jeb Bush had done following devastating hurricanes, Scott gave families an additional month to make the payment. As a result, thousands of children were disenrolled from the health insurance program. A high-ranking Medicaid official at the time defended the position, saying it would be giving 0ut a “freebie” otherwise.
In addition to waiving premium for the month, the board agreed to give families with annual renewals due in September or October additional time to submit their applications. Those families will have until Nov. 30 to complete the renewal process.
“As I’ve traveled the state, I have seen the level of damage and destruction from Hurricane Helene firsthand and I know the challenges our friends and neighbors face as they recover,” Patronis said in a prepared statement.
“In challenging times, it’s critical to come together and do whatever we can to help families get back on their feet. Now, I’m proud to say that thousands of families have one less worry as they work to recover from this storm.”
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