Untitled Document
Congresswoman Castor, CFO Sink and Children’s Campaign, Inc.
Weigh In on KidCare Funding
Leaders who hold the purse strings of the Florida Legislature must find additional dollars for Florida’s KidCare program or Florida may yet again send federal tax dollars paid by hard working Floridians to care for children in other states.
For every 29 dollars that Florida invests in children’s health insurance, approximately 71 federal dollars become available. Federal dollars not expended by the due date are re-distributed to states more committed to ensuring the health coverage of its younger citizens.
Florida chronically under invests in children’s health insurance. Over the past ten years, Florida has forfeited over 139-million federal dollars paid by Florida citizens through their federal taxes. Currently, Florida has accumulated half a billion unspent federal dollars while the eligible population of uninsured children has grown to more than half a million! For more information click here
This fact is especially relevant in a year when the federally sponsored State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is up for federal reauthorization. "This is the wrong time for the Florida Legislature to falter in their commitment to children's health,” said Congresswoman Kathy Castor (Tampa Bay). “The Congress already has approved $50-billion for SCHIP reauthorization matching funds. If Florida does not allocate adequate state funds, its share will go to other states."
The 18+ million additional state dollars for KidCare in the state budget (as of April 27th) as proposed by the Florida Legislature will not reverse this disturbing trend. Another $32-million, raising the additional appropriation to $50-million, would replace dollars cut last year and set the state on the course proposed by Governor Charlie Crist to enroll children needing health insurance.
The Florida Legislature is expected to pass improvements to KidCare fixing many of the barriers to enrollment. While this action is most commendable and long-awaited, the lack of appropriations will detract from its significance.
“What good is working to improve the KidCare program if there’s no funding to run it?” said Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, who also serves as Chair of the Healthy Kids Board. “We need to ensure that our work is not in vain and that KidCare is adequately funded this year.”
Castor has proposed other improvements to the federal program including the creation of 'express lanes' to allow children to see a doctor without the bureaucratic barriers that exist today, and by introducing provisions to help Florida get its fair share under federal reauthorization despite the hundreds of thousands of Florida children that have fallen off the rolls. “The Florida Legislature must match our efforts to adequately fund this important program and break down the barrier,” Castor emphasized.
Both scenarios – Florida returning unspent funds or having future allocations cut – would have the same unfortunate result: hard working Floridians will become permanent donors to the health care of children in other states.
“Floridians are desperate to cover their children,” said Roy Miller, President of Children’s Campaign, Inc. “Not having health care for a child is a crisis.”
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