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Kid Care Save Email Print
Posted: 1:48 PM Nov 6, 2008
Last Updated: 9:35 PM Nov 6, 2008
Reporter: Whitney Ray
Email Address: news@wjhg.com


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As many as 25,000 kids may have been wrongfully dropped from a program offering low cost insurance to Florida Families. Computer problems may to blame for axing the Florida Kid Care policyholders. An emergency order is in effect to keep more kids from being dropped.

Thousands of families paid health insurance premiums for their children but got no coverage. Computer glitches wrongfully dropped as many as 25,000 families from the Florida Kid Care program. Child Advocate Karen Woodall fears those families won’t get the medical attention they need.

“We can only hope that it hasn’t caused major, major stress to families.”

In May, the state hired a new administrator to take over the program and changed the Kid Care computer system. With a new chairwoman in place, Loranne Ausley, the Florida Healthy Kids Board is trying fix the problem.

“It is unacceptable for any children to be falling out of this program. Our mission is to reach more children. The corporation is going to do whatever it takes to make sure children stay in the program and get the health insurance that they need.”

The problem got so bad that the board issued a moratorium to keep more kids from being dropped. Reimbursements are available for families who were mistakenly axed from the program.

The Florida Healthy Kids Board sent letters to the families who were wrongfully dropped from the program, telling them how to re-enroll.

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Posted by: kris Location: florida on Nov 17, 2008 at 12:57 PM
just an update. I just received an email from kidcare telling me to disreguard the notice, that my daughter will still be covered. So hopefully this means that they are taking care of the problem, and at least they are responding to peoples emails. thanks for listening .

Posted by: Kris Location: florida on Nov 17, 2008 at 12:10 PM
we recently received a letter from kidcare saying that my 7year old mentally and physically disabled child is being dropped from their insurance. I tried calling them over and over for 3days and got nothing but a busy signal. I have faxed them and emailed them and still nothing. I don't understand how this can go on and how they can let a handicapped child or any other child go without insurance for even a day. I sure hope they are fixing the problem . I just wish there was someone that would talk to us to let us know what's going on,will my child be insured or not? I'm doing my part trying to contact them,why can't they just let us talk to a person .

Posted by: Dawn Location: Bradenton, FL on Nov 7, 2008 at 02:00 PM
This happened to me but my son broke his arm while waiting on them to fix the problem. They refuse to put my effective date back to 10/01/08 and made it 11/01/08 and now I'm stuck paying an ER visit and had to wait almost 2 weeks to get a new Pediatrician in order to receive a referral and to wait another couple days for an Orthopedic Doctor. If they took my money, there shouldn't be any issue on an effective date. They just don't want to do it and my son is the one to suffer for their error. How is this fair? If I had $350 for an office visit I wouldn't need Fla Healthy Kids Insurance.

Posted by: jenny Location: florida on Nov 7, 2008 at 08:56 AM
i am going through the same issues. my son was on this insurance for 4 onths it has caused more problems for me. one minute he is on the next he is off. my son has sereval problems that need attention. they are telling me computer problems will fix the problem but i have paid for at least 3 months and he is on for 2 weeks good then they drop him. i am very disappointed with there services and just want my son on the insurance. i don't want to have to deal with this problem everyday on the phones and then you can't get through when you need to.

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