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April 1, 2009 – The Florida Health Policy Center (FHPC) has released a policy brief designed to shed light on steps Florida can take to provide low cost health insurance coverage to low-income, uninsured children under the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA) that goes into effect April 1, 2009.

CHIP, known as KidCare in Florida, is a federal-state matching program that provides low-cost health insurance for children in low-income families. For every CHIP dollar spent by the state, about 69 cents comes from the federal government.

The reauthorized CHIP program provides matching money to cover currently enrolled children in Florida for the next four and a half years, as well as incentives to states that increase their enrollment. But to qualify, the Policy Brief notes, the state must streamline and simplify its KidCare program which will require legislative measures.

On February 4, 2009 President Obama signed the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009. Florida’s legislative session began March 1 and is scheduled to conclude on April 30, 2009.

“The timing of Florida’s legislative session creates a unique opportunity for Florida to do what’s necessary to allow for the full and immediate implementation of CHIPRA”, said Lisa Portelli, Statewide Coordinator for The Florida Health Policy Center.

The Florida Health Policy Center is dedicated to providing Florida health policy-makers with access to neutral, objective analysis of health issues and the effective communication of information.

Center members include Allegany Franciscan Ministries, the Florida Philanthropic Network, the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice, the Health Foundation of South Florida, the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, Palm Healthcare Foundation, the Quantum Foundation and the Winter Park Health Foundation.

For more information, contact Lisa Portelli, Statewide Coordinator at 407-644-2300 or lportelli@wphf.org.