KidCare reform being instituted expands coverage

It took three years for legislation to reform the state KidCare program to reach Gov. Charlie Crist, who signed the bill into law on Tuesday.

Nan Rich, Senate sponsor of the bill, hopes the new law is just the beginning.

"I promised that I would be back next session to expand the number of children eligible for KidCare," said Rich, D-Sunrise, after appearing with Crist at one of several bill-signing ceremonies. "This bill, it's an important bill, but we still have so many that are not insured."

For years, child and health care advocates have complained that bureaucratic obstacles keep too many eligible children out of the subsidized health insurance program. The bill that passed this year will simplify the application process, reduce the suspension period for nonpayment of premiums and ease eligibility restrictions on families that voluntarily canceled their private or employer-sponsored health insurance.

That could increase the number of children in KidCare by 50,000, Crist said.

"It was critical that we removed barriers before we expanded eligibility," said Karen Woodall, a longtime advocate in Tallahassee for women and children.

Advocates as well as lawmakers in both parties have tried for years to expand the program to children of working poor who do not qualify, including those who work for the state.

State records show that 1,500 state workers collected food stamps in May, meaning their net monthly incomes were at or below the federal poverty line. Families of children who qualify for KidCare can have incomes as high as 200 percent of the poverty line - about $44,000 for a family of four.

"You have single moms with several children, working for the state and earning $28,000 a year - and they aren't eligible for KidCare," said Rich, who said she will renew past efforts to cover those children. "That's ridiculous."

The House voted in 2007 to cover state workers' children but failed to win over Senate leaders. Similar proposals in 2008 never received a vote.

The problem: money. The federal government contributes 70 cents for every 30 cents that Florida spends on KidCare but will not pay to cover children of state workers. That means the cost of enrolling those children would fall entirely to the state.

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, who repeatedly has proposed expansion of federal coverage to such children, hopes that will change. "In the larger health care reform effort, we're going to be looking at how we cover all kids," she said. "President Obama campaigned on that."

Meanwhile, Rich acknowledged that she faces a tough battle next year. But "in my opinion, it's one of the most important things we need to do."