Healthy Kids insurance arrives

That's good news for more than 1,000 school-age children in Citrus who had been on a waiting list.

By JIM ROSS

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 10, 2000

INVERNESS -- It's official: The Healthy Kids health insurance program is available in Citrus County.

State regulators gave final clearance Wednesday to the program's Citrus version. More than 1,000 school-age children in Citrus had been on a Healthy Kids waiting list. Now those children, who are not otherwise protected by private or government health insurance, have coverage.

"I'm excited. There's obviously a need," said Marybeth Nayfield, administrator of the Citrus County Health Department. "I think the fact we have that many kids on a waiting list . . . indicates the interest in the community for this kind of a program."

Healthy Kids is part of KidCare, the umbrella program designed to provide coverage for Florida children from birth to age 18.

Healthy Kids is for children ages 5 to 18 whose family incomes are too high for the children to qualify for Medicaid but too low for the parents or guardians to secure private coverage.

Most families participating in KidCare will pay a $15 monthly premium, regardless of how many children are enrolled. The families also must handle some co-payments, according to Healthy Kids literature.

Healthy Kids provides coverage for visits to the doctor, inpatient hospital care, prescriptions, eyeglasses and immunizations, among other things, Healthy Kids officials announced Wednesday in a news release.

Statewide, Healthy Kids provides coverage for more than 150,000 children. The state contracts with insurance companies, which assemble a network of providers for their young clients to use.

Only one Florida county, Sumter, doesn't offer the program.

State and local officials have tried to bring Healthy Kids to Citrus for more than a year. In December, a breakthrough appeared imminent: After months of searching, state officials secured an insurance company, Clarendon National, to develop a Citrus network of doctors, specialists and hospitals.

But the company had trouble assembling a network that met state requirements, Healthy Kids officials said during interviews in July. The Agency for Health Care Administration is particular about the makeup of Healthy Kids insurance networks, and New York-based Clarendon couldn't meet its burden, despite repeated efforts.

That changed in recent weeks, although Healthy Kids officials didn't explain how Wednesday.

"(We are) very excited to come one step closer to completing our Florida expansion," Healthy Kids spokeswoman Jennifer Lloyd said Wednesday.

The delay was even more frustrating in light of good news that came from the Legislature this year.

Previously, the state had funded 700 slots for Healthy Kids in Citrus. Now lawmakers have freed up money to serve an unlimited number of children.

Families that already have submitted a Healthy Kids application will receive a letter soon explaining what to do.

At a glance

People interested in applying for Healthy Kids should call (888) 352-5437.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.