When the Continuous Coverage provision for Medicaid ends in March 2023, the State will begin reviewing who qualifies for Medicaid. It’s expected that over 900,000 people will lose their healthcare coverage in Florida over the next 14 months. This process is called Medicaid Unwinding in the field, but for families, the process is called “redetermination” or “renewal.”
Advocates are worried about how many children may lose healthcare coverage.
Florida currently has over 2.4 million children enrolled in Medicaid. Their eligibility is determined by the Department of Children and Families (DCF). Starting this month, DCF began reviewing cases. They will start the process by reviewing the cases of individuals/families who have not used their Medicaid in the last year. These could be children who have moved out of State or are already on their parent’s health insurance plan so they would have coverage.
The next step is to review cases based on the month of original enrollment. If a child first enrolled in Medicaid in April 2020, for example, their case may be one of the next ones to be reviewed.
In about 25% of cases, the state can automatically renew a child’s Medicaid based on available data sources on income and household size. But for many, DCF will be sending a request for information.
Key Steps for Parents/Caregivers
- Make sure your address and phone number are up to date in the DCF Access Portal.
- Use the Virtual Assistance from the DCF Access Portal to determine when your child’s redetermination might occur.
- Look for an envelope in the mail from DCF with a yellow stripe. Don’t panic right away–it may not arrive until later this year or early next year.
- Follow any requests for information.
If your child may qualify for Florida Kidcare, instead of Medicaid, DCF will transfer the application. Remember, you still need to provide any information requested by DCF. Your child will not automatically be eligible for Kidcare without this information.
Next Steps for Children Moving to Kidcare
- Look out for a letter from Florida Healthy Kids Corporation (Kidcare)
- Follow the enrollment steps, including making a family payment
If your child no longer qualifies for Medicaid or Kidcare, they may qualify for the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call a navigator today to find out. 877-564-5031 or schedule an appointment online at CoveringCFL.net
