• Children's Medicaid serves children from birth through age 18 from income-eligible families. Infants in families with earnings up to 206% of the federal poverty level, children ages 1 through 5 in families with earnings up to 140% of the federal poverty level, and children 6 through 18 in families with earnings up to 133% of the federal poverty level are financed by Medicaid funds. This Florida KidCare component is administered by the Agency for Health Care Administration. Eligibility determination is conducted by the Department of Children and Families or the Social Security Administration. There are no premium or co-payment requirements under Children's Medicaid.
• MediKids serves children ages 1 through 4. This Florida KidCare component is administered by the Agency for Health Care Administration. Eligibility determination is conducted by the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation. Families pay a monthly premium of no more than $20 depending on income, and there are no co-payment requirements under MediKids.
• Florida Healthy Kids serves children ages 5 through 18 who are not Medicaid eligible. The Florida Healthy Kids Corporation administers this program component and is governed by a board of directors representing each Florida KidCare component, including the Department of Children and Families, the Agency for Healthcare Administration, the Department of Health, and the Department of Financial Services. Premiums and co-payments are required under Healthy Kids. For children in most families with incomes between 133% and 200% of the federal poverty level coverage costs no more than $20 a month. Families with incomes under 210% of the federal poverty level, but are not eligible for CHIP premium assistance, or over 210% of the federal poverty level, or are non-qualified U.S. non-citizens, pay the full-pay monthly premium.
• Children's Medical Services operates the CMS Managed Care Plan, which is designed for children from birth up to 21 years of age who are Medicaid eligible and have special health care needs.Children who are clinically eligible can choose the CMS Network as a benefit plan option if they meet income eligibility requirements for Medicaid or CHIP. Financial eligibility determination is conducted either by the Department of Children and Families (Medicaid) or the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation. Clinical eligibility for the program is determined by a parent-based survey through the CMS Clinical Eligibility Hotline or through a treating physician's attestation. Premiums are required for CHIP-funded enrollees, but there are no co-payment requirements.

In Fiscal Year 2022-23, 1,444,474 children were enrolled in KidCare.

For Fiscal Year 2022-23, 92.38% of families enrolled in Florida KidCare reported they were satisfied with the care provided under the program, a satisfaction level just below the agency's 95% satisfaction goal.

In its December 2022 report on Florida Kidcare, researchers at the Institute for Child Health Policy found that in Calendar Year 2022, the MediKids program component scored favorably in the supplemental questions regarding children with chronic conditions. While 83% of Florida KidCare families stated that it was easy to get needed care, 86% indicated they were able to get that care as soon as needed. Nearly all (93%) families felt that their child’s physician communicated well with them, and 88% of families reported positive experiences with their health plan customer service. Most Florida KidCare families (78%) rated their personal doctor, as well as the specialist seen most often (73%), as a "9" or "10."  When rating their overall experiences, 71% of the Florida KidCare families gave a favorable rating to all their health care while just over two-thirds (69%) rated their health plan a "9" or "10."

Florida KidCare is funded through federal and state revenues.

Florida Kidcare Program Eligibility. The 2023 Legislature enacted Ch. 2023-277, Laws of Florida, which increases the income eligibility threshold from 200 percent of the current federal poverty level to 300 percent for coverage under MediKids program component and the Florida Kidcare program.

Other Reports
The Auditor General reports on agency operations are available on its website
The Florida KidCare Program Evaluation Calendar Year 2021, University of Florida, Institute for Child Health Policy, December 2022
Medicaid and CHIP Eligibility, Enrollment, and Cost Sharing Policies as of January 2022: Findings from a 50-State Survey, Kaiser Family Foundation, March 16, 2022
Annual Updates on Eligibility Rules, Enrollment and Renewal Procedures, and Cost-Sharing Practices in Medicaid and CHIP, Kaiser Family Foundations, March 27, 2023
Child Uninsured Rate Could Rise Sharp if State Don't Proceed with Caution, Georgetown University, Health Policy Institute, Center for Children and Families, February 1, 2023
State Medicaid and CHIP Snapshots, 2023, Georgetown University, Health Policy Institute, Center for Children and Families, September 28, 2023
2018-19 Annual Report, Florida Healthy Kids Corporation

Websites of Interest
Florida Healthy Kids
Florida KidCare
KidCare Online Application
Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Children's Health Insurance Program
Kaiser Family Foundation, Medicaid/CHIP
Georgetown University, Health Policy Institute, Center for Children and Families

Performance Information

Florida KidCare, 1-888-540-5437
Website