6 Facts Parents Need to Know About Eligibility and Coverage for Florida KidCare

Due to the rising cost of health care in our country, many parents or caregivers have opted out of getting health or dental coverage for their families – not by choice, but because they cannot afford health care while also providing other basic needs for their families. As you can imagine, the decision to not provide health or dental insurance for a child must be a difficult one for any parent to make. No parent wants to worry about what will happen if his or her child gets hurt on the playground or becomes sick. Thankfully, there is a program for children in Florida to help children get the health and dental coverage they need so that children don’t have go without coverage. It’s called Florida KidCare. The program is free or discounted for eligible families.

Florida KidCare provides high quality, child-centered, affordable health and dental insurance coverage for kids from birth through the end of age 18. Approximately 2.5 million children in Florida already rely on Florida KidCare to get the health and dental coverage they need. Still, however, there is an estimated 257,000 children in Florida that do not have health insurance. Of this number, more than 147,000 of these children are eligible for free or discounted health insurance coverage through Florida KidCare.

So while many parents prepare for open enrollment, other parents wonder how they will afford the doctor’s visits to get the next round of immunizations needed or the physicals required for school or sports activities. Or what they’ll do if their child becomes sick during the school year and can’t get the medical care they need to recover quickly.

As you can imagine, a healthy student is a more focused one who is most equipped to get better grades and reach their full academic potential in school. As a mom and former educator, ensuring that all children have the opportunity to go to school healthy and ready to learn is an important belief of mine. That’s why I’m thrilled to share that I have partnered with Florida KidCare to help spread the word about their program. As an ambassador, I want to help close the health and achievement gap by helping all children do well in school all year-long, ready to learn and reach their fullest potential each year.

You can help too. Help me spread the word about Florida KidCare to ensure that all Florida children are covered. Share this article with a family member, friend, or neighbor that may benefit from the information. If that’s you, I encourage you to visit Florida KidCare to learn more or to apply today.

Curious about who’s eligible for Florida KidCare? Read the fast facts about the program below.

6 Facts About Eligibility and Coverage for Florida KidCare

1. Who is eligible for Florida KidCare? Your child is eligible for Florida KidCare even if one or both parents are working. Legally residing  immigrant children are eligible for coverage with Florida KidCare and immigration status will never be asked.
2. When should families enroll eligible children? Open enrollment is year-round, so the  time  to  apply  is  always  According to 90% of parents, enrolling  was  simple and easy to do.
3. Which counties have the most uninsured children? The five counties in Florida with the highest number of in  uninsured children are Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Orange and Help close that gap by spreading the word to families in that area.
4. What sort of coverage does Florida KidCare provide to families? Florida KidCare  offers  health,  dental,  vision  and preventive care, just to name a few.
5. Do you have to switch pedestrians and other providers? Your current pediatrician or health care providers may already accept Florida KidCare insurance so you may not have to switch doctors or offices.
6. How much does Florida KidCare cost families? Most families pay nothing at all, and many pay as little as $15 or $20 a month.

Let’s help all Florida children start the new school year off right by getting head to toe  health coverage available to them. Visit Florida KidCare to learn more or to enroll today.

Thanks to Florida KidCare for sponsoring today’s blog post. All opinions are my own.