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Lawmakers fixing KidCare mistake

It's a truism of politics that lawmakers rarely admit a mistake. But the Legislature's recent approval of year-round enrollment in Florida's KidCare program is that rarity, eliminating changes from last year that made it too difficult to sign up for the government-subsidized health insurance program.

Unwilling to spend the money to meet the rising demand for KidCare, Gov. Jeb Bush and the Republican-led Legislature responded by eliminating the waiting list, increasing the paperwork and limiting the application window to two months. So enrollment dropped by 123,000, and the state risked losing unspent federal money.

With Bush expected to sign into law next week a bill that will allow for enrollment throughout the year, thousands more low-income families will be able to apply for the insurance, which charges monthly $15 premiums for access to a doctor, a dentist and prescription drugs. That means fewer kids will have to get their health care through expensive emergency room visits or go without.

At a time when Medicaid and indigent health care costs have reached crisis proportions, Florida still makes it too difficult for poor families to get health coverage for their kids and won't spend enough to meet all of the demand. But at least legislators have acknowledged a portion of their mistake and are removing a key roadblock.

[Last modified April 30, 2005, 00:50:14]