Florida Kidcare Announces Extended Deadline for Families Impacted By Hurricane Irma

Contact:
Communications Office
NewsMedia@flhealth.gov
(850) 245-4111

Tallahassee, Fla. — Florida KidCare state agency partners – the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, Florida Department of Health Children’s Medical Services, and Florida Healthy Kids Corporation – are providing an extended deadline for Florida KidCare families, who may have been impacted by Hurricane Irma, to pay their October insurance premiums.

Florida KidCare families who have not yet paid their premium for coverage beginning October 1, 2017 will have until October 31, 2017 to pay their monthly premium. This will provide additional time for families to make their payment and ensure their children have access to healthcare during this time of recovery. Families who pay their premiums by the October 31 deadline will have coverage restored back to October 1.

Families eligible for the premium payment extension must live in one of the 48 counties designated by the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) as eligible for individual assistance: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Union and Volusia.

The extended deadline covers three Florida KidCare programs:

• MediKids: Subsidized and full-pay coverage for children ages 1 through 4.
• Florida Healthy Kids: Subsidized and full-pay coverage for children ages 5 through 18.
• Children’s Medical Services Managed Care Plan (CMS Plan): Subsidized coverage for children with special health care needs from birth through age 18.

The payment extension does not apply to Florida KidCare children enrolled in Medicaid because these children receive free coverage and do not pay a monthly premium. All renewal periods for Florida KidCare, including Medicaid, have been extended.

About the Florida Department of Health

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

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