Healthy Kids Press Contact,
Ashley Carr, Chief Marketing Officer,
(850) 701-6160, [email protected].
December 28, 1998
TALLAHASSEE - The Florida Healthy Kids program has come together with local community and government leaders to provide additional children the opportunity to have health care coverage in the state of Florida. For the first time, Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Liberty and Wakulla counties will hold open enrollment. Their first enrollment period will begin on January 4, 1999.
To qualify for the comprehensive health plan, the child must be age 5 to 19, be uninsured and not eligible for Medicaid.
Health care services are provided through Healthplan Southeast. Families may qualify for reduced rates of $15 per family, depending on income. If families do not meet the criteria for reduced rates, the coverage costs between $71 and $76 per month per child, depending on the county where the child resides.
Healthy Kids provides comprehensive health insurance benefits for children including: doctors' office visits, inpatient hospital care, prescriptions, eyeglasses, immunizations and much more.
The next enrollment period for Leon County will also begin on January 4. Capital Health Plan is the provider for Healthy Kids in Leon County and has been since the implementation of the local program in January 1998. Leon county families may qualify for reduced rates of $10 or $15 per family, depending on income. If the family is not able to qualify for the reduced rate, coverage costs $53 per month per child.
It is estimated that more than 800,000 of Florida's school aged children lack health insurance. The Florida Healthy Kids Corporation, a nonprofit organization, was established by the Florida Legislature in 1990 to address this problem and has received state and national recognition for its innovative approach to bridging the health care gap for previously uninsured children. Healthy Kids, which insures 60,000 children statewide, has been lauded as a national model receiving the prestigious Innovations in American Government Award in 1996 from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Parents who want to apply for Healthy Kids coverage can call toll-free 1-888-FLA-KIDS (1-888-352-5437). Applications are being accepted now. Health care coverage will be issued on a first come first serve basis as enrollment is limited in each county.
Healthy Kids Press Contact,
Ashley Carr, Chief Marketing Officer,
(850) 701-6160, [email protected].
