KidCare medical insurance program is created by the state of Florida in order to provide uninsured children with access to quality and much needed medical services. There are actually several different insurance plans, which are altogether called "KidCare". These programs are:

• MediKids, for children ages 1 to 4.
• Healthy Kids, for children ages 5 to 18.
• Children's Medical Services Network, for children from birth up to 18, who have special health care needs.
• Medicaid, for children from birth up to 18. This is a combined plan, which means that it can be used in certain cases as an additional plan for MediKids or Healthy Kids.

These programs are actually administered by different government agencies. They usually function the same way, but it's much easier for administration to separate these programs into four different agencies. What's the same with these four health insurance program is that each of them requires you to choose your kids' PCP (Primary Care Physician). You'll also receive an insurance card, which you'll need to show each time your children need medical attention. It's also a good idea to find out which medical care providers in your county are partnered with the insurance plan you're using, so you can take fool advantage of your insurance. You can find a list of these providers at www.floridakidscare.org.

MediKids

MediKids is administered by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) and it provides health insurance coverage for children ages 1 through 4. Children who are enrolled with MediKids actually receive MedicAid benefits and services directly from MedicAid partners.

This insurance plan comes with monthly premium, which depends on the household income. These premiums are usually $15 to $20 per month. There's also an option for families with greater income (greater than the income limit for the low-cost monthly premium) and this plan comes with monthly premium of $196.

Before you enroll with MediKids, you'll need to select a health plan for your child. This plan can be HMO, Provider Service Network, MediPass or other managed care provider. Each of them offers wide range of medical providers and services, so it usually simply depends on the county you live in.

For more information on MediKids, click here to visit the official Florida MediKids site.

Healthy Kids

Healthy Kids plan is administered by the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation and it's created for children ages 5 through 18. It's actually created to provide insurance for families who are not eligible for Medicaid.

Monthly premiums for Healthy Kids plan are $15 to $20 and they cover doctor visits, immunizations, emergency care, hospital stay, diagnostic services, dental care and much more.

For more information on Healthy Kids plan, visit www.healthykids.org.

Medicaid

The Department of Children and Families administers MedicAid health insurance program. This plan is created for low-income families, who struggle with monthly premium so it's mostly completely free. It also offers wide range of medical services, which are free or for which you might need to pay co-payment. These co-payments are usually needed for diagnostic services and complex procedures.

For more information on MedicAid, click here.

Children's Medical Services Network

In case you've got a child who needs special medical care, you're eligible for an insurance plan administered by the Children's Medical Services Network. It's created for all the children under the age of 18, so it's important to start using it as soon as you can. It even covers newborn medical care as well as some helpful counselling services.

You can find more information about the Children's Medical Services Network at www.cms-kids.com.

Additional Information

Regardless of the insurance plan you're using, you can pay monthly premium either online or at your local Department of Children and Families (DFC) customer service center. For more information on possible payment methods, click here.

You also need to know that each of the Florida KidCare insurance plan needs to be renewed once a year. When this period comes to an end, you should expect receiving a letter where you'll be informed that you need to fill out renewal form and turn it in. Through this form you'll need to report any changes in your household or income which might affect your further enrollment.

You can actually renew your insurance plan online, by clicking here. In case you have a print copy of a renewal form, you can send it by mail on this address:

Florida KidCare (Attention: RENEWAL)
P.O. Box 591
Tallahassee, Florida 32302-0591

You can even send it by email to [email protected].

Eligibility Requirements

Since Florida KidCare is created to provide a health insurance plan for your children, a child must meet to following criteria:

• Be under the age of 19.
• Be a U.S. citizen or qualified alien.
• Reside in the state of Florida.
• Meet income eligibility requirements.
• Be uninsured.
• Not be eligible for Medicaid.
• Not be in a public institution.

Income eligibility requirement depends only on the household size. These are the annual income requirements:

• Household of 1 needs total annual income of $22,430.
• Household of 2 needs total annual income of $30,260.
• Household of 3 needs total annual income of $38,180.
• For each additional member of your household, you'll need to add $7,920 to a total annual income amount.

You should be also prepared to gather documents which will prove that you fulfill each of the previously listed eligibility requirements. This means that you need the following documentation:

• To prove your age you'll need a state issued ID card, birth certificate or any other official identification document.
• To prove your citizenship status, you'll need a U.S. passport or any other official document. Non-citizen children can be still eligible even if their parents don't have official immigration status, since the Florida KidCare application does not ask about parents' status. Some examples of non-citizen children who may be eligible are: Refugees, children with lawful permanent status, Cuban and Haitian entrants, Amerasians and American Indians born outside the United States.
• To prove you annual income you'll need a bank statement for a certain period of time, your paystubs, tax returns or any other official document which will prove your annual income.

KidCare Health Insurance Application Instructions

In order to start using one of the Florida KidCare insurance plan, you'll need to sign up by turning in your application. These are several ways to apply:

Apply Online

The fastest way to apply is through online web application, which could be found at www.healthykids.org/apply/. Application form is quite short, so it shouldn't take long for you to complete it.

Apply in Person

You can also print out your application form and turn it in at your local Department of Children and Families (DFC) customer service center. You can find application form at by clicking here. In order to find out where your local DFC service center is located, click here.

In case you don't have online access and you're unable to visit your local DFC center, you can call Florida KidCare toll-free helpline (1-888-540-5437) to request an application to be mailed to you.

Additional Documents

Besides having properly filled out application form, you'll also need some additional documents which are used as a proof that you're eligible for one of the Florida KidCare plans. These documents are:

• Your Wage and Earning Statement (W-2 Form) or your family's most recent tax return (Form 1040).
• Your newest paystub, which covers last four weeks.
• You children's Social Security numbers.
• Proof of your Identity and Citizenship.

You should also know that some Florida KidCare programs can have limited space, so application are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. This applies to MediKids, Healthy Kids and the Children's Medical Services Network. MedicAid is always open, so this is why you might sometimes receive this type of medical insurance plan.

In case a certain insurance plan is currently closed for enrollment, you won't be able to file in your application but you might sign-up for the waiting list. You can always call 1-888-540-5437 (KidCare helpline) to get the newest information on how and when to apply.