Florida KidCare

Broward Regional Health Planning Council and partners Broward County Health Department, Broward Health, Children’s Services Council of Broward County and Memorial Healthcare System have applied and received outreach grants from the Healthy Kids Corporation.

With the latest grant entitled “Hit the Mark,” Broward County partners have seen the greatest number of online applications statewide. As of March, 2008, more than 26,000 children are enrolled in Healthy Kids in Broward! Florida KidCare Accepts Application All Year!

Florida KidCare is Florida’s Children’s Health Insurance program for uninsured children under age 19. Florida KidCare is made up of four parts:

1. MediKids—covers children ages 1 through 4;

2. Healthy Kids—covers children ages 5 through 18;

3. Children’s Medical Services Network (CMS)—covers children birth through age 18 with special health care or emotional needs or ongoing medical conditions,

4. Medicaid for children—covers children birth through age 18.

The Florida Healthy Kids Corporation was established in 1990 by the Florida Legislature as a public-private initiative to improve access to comprehensive health insurance for the state's uninsured children. The corporation helps thousands of uninsured children gain access to affordable, quality health care. Healthy Kids acts as a quasi single-payer financing mechanism by aggregating local, state, federal and family funds to pay premiums to commercial health plans who assume the insurance risk. This program is unique because it is designed to provide affordable access to health insurance coverage for working families for whom the payment of the full premium would be out of reach.