Medicaid Office

Florida CHIP: Children's Health Insurance Program

Updated August 2026

Florida KidCare is the umbrella program for children's health coverage in Florida, administered by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) and the Department of Children and Families (DCF). It includes four components serving different age groups and income levels.

200% FPL

Subsidized CHIP income limit (Florida Healthy Kids / MediKids)

$15–$276/mo

Monthly premium by income (subsidy tier is per family; full-pay is per child)

4

Programs under the Florida KidCare umbrella

Florida KidCare is four programs under one application

Florida KidCare is an umbrella covering four distinct children's health programs — Medicaid for Children, MediKids, Florida Healthy Kids, and the Children's Medical Services Plan. Florida Healthy Kids is the state's separate CHIP program for ages 5–18; MediKids also draws on CHIP funding for ages 1–4. Apply once at floridakidcare.org or through MyACCESS, and the system sorts each child into the right component based on age and income.

What Florida KidCare is and how it works

Florida Healthy Kids is a separate CHIP program — not part of Medicaid. Unlike California, which folded its CHIP program into Medicaid, Florida operates Florida Healthy Kids as a distinct program for children ages 5–18, administered by the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation under contract with AHCA. Children ages 0–4 are covered through Medicaid directly, and MediKids — also CHIP-funded — covers ages 1–4 above the Medicaid income threshold.

  • Medicaid for Children (ages 0–18, lower incomes) — administered by DCF and AHCA, no premiums, covers households below 133% FPL (children ages 1–5) or 200% FPL (children under age 1); this component is Medicaid, not CHIP
  • MediKids (ages 1–4) — covers children whose family income is between the Medicaid threshold and 200% FPL, funded with CHIP Title XXI dollars; small premiums may apply at higher income levels
  • Florida Healthy Kids (ages 5–18) — the CHIP program for school-age children, with subsidized premiums up to 200% FPL and full-pay coverage above that
  • Children's Medical Services (CMS) Plan — covers children with special health care needs who meet specific clinical criteria; part of the KidCare umbrella but serves a distinct population

Who qualifies for Florida Healthy Kids (CHIP)

Florida Healthy Kids covers children who meet all of the following requirements.

  • Age 5 through 18 (for the Florida Healthy Kids component)
  • Florida resident
  • Household income between the Medicaid limit and 200% of the Federal Poverty Level for subsidized coverage; full-pay coverage is available above that with no set income ceiling
  • Child is uninsured or has had a gap in employer-sponsored coverage (crowd-out rules apply)
  • U.S. citizen, national, or eligible immigration status

Subsidized CHIP coverage — the $15 or $20 monthly premium tier — is available to households with income between 133% and 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, per Florida KidCare's official cost page and AHCA's Title XXI program page. A 2023 state law (Fla. Stat. 409.814) directed Florida to raise the subsidized eligibility ceiling to 300% FPL, but as of the most recent official guidance that expansion has not been implemented — it remains contingent on a federal Medicaid waiver that has not been approved. Families above 200% FPL can still enroll in Florida KidCare, but only in full-pay coverage (no subsidy), and the law allows full-pay enrollment even above 300% FPL, subject to a possible reduced benefit package.

Premiums for Florida Healthy Kids

Premiums vary by income, per Florida KidCare's official cost page and AHCA's Title XXI program summary. The subsidized $15 and $20 tiers are charged per family — that single payment covers every eligible child in the household, not each child separately. Full-pay coverage (above 200% FPL, or for any child who does not qualify for the subsidy) is priced per child.

Up to 133% FPL

Monthly premium
$0
Program
Medicaid

134%–158% FPL

Monthly premium
$15/family/month
Program
MediKids / Florida Healthy Kids (CHIP subsidy)

158.01%–200% FPL

Monthly premium
$20/family/month
Program
MediKids / Florida Healthy Kids (CHIP subsidy)

Above 200% FPL

Monthly premium
Full pay: $248.21/child/month (MediKids) or $276/child/month (Healthy Kids)
Program
Florida KidCare full pay (no income ceiling)

The full-pay premium is $276/month per child for Florida Healthy Kids; the MediKids full-pay premium is $248.21/month per child. Some services carry a copay of up to $10; there is no deductible. Verify current premiums at floridakidcare.org before enrolling.

What Florida KidCare covers

Children enrolled in any Florida KidCare component receive comprehensive coverage.

  • Doctor office visits — primary care and specialist
  • Preventive care and well-child visits
  • Inpatient and outpatient hospital care
  • Emergency room and urgent care
  • Prescription drugs on the formulary
  • Mental health and behavioral health services
  • Vision care — routine eye exams and glasses
  • Dental coverage through the SMMC Dental Program
  • Physical, occupational, and speech therapy
  • Medical equipment when medically necessary

Children under 21 in any Florida KidCare component that uses Medicaid funding are entitled to EPSDT benefits — all medically necessary services, a broader standard than the standard benefit list. Florida Healthy Kids plans may have copays for some services; the amounts depend on income level and plan terms.

How to apply for Florida KidCare

Two application paths exist. The Florida KidCare portal at floridakidcare.org handles applications specifically for the KidCare program. The DCF MyACCESS portal at myaccess.myflfamilies.com evaluates children for all programs simultaneously — Medicaid, MediKids, and Florida Healthy Kids — with a single application.

If you apply through MyACCESS and your child is income-eligible for Medicaid (lower income), they will be enrolled in Medicaid automatically. If the child's income exceeds the Medicaid threshold but falls within the KidCare range, DCF routes the application to Florida KidCare. Applications can also be submitted at DCF Family Resource Centers.

Children in the Medicaid portion of Florida KidCare (below 133% FPL) pay no monthly premiums and face minimal cost sharing. Emergency services cannot be denied due to unpaid premiums in any KidCare component. If premium payments become difficult, contact Florida KidCare at 1-888-540-5437 to ask about grace periods or hardship exemptions.

Florida KidCare vs CHIP in other large states

Comparison approximate as of 2025 — verify current premiums and benefit details at floridakidcare.org or nystateofhealth.ny.gov.

Income limit (subsidized)

Florida KidCare
200% FPL (300% enacted by law but not yet implemented)
Texas CHIP
~201% FPL
New York (CHP)
400% FPL

Monthly premium (entry level)

Florida KidCare
$15/family/month
Texas CHIP
$50/year
New York (CHP)
$0 below 160% FPL

Copays

Florida KidCare
Minimal
Texas CHIP
$3–$35
New York (CHP)
None

Dental included

Florida KidCare
Yes (MCO)
Texas CHIP
Yes (MCNA)
New York (CHP)
Yes (full)

Immigration status

Florida KidCare
Lawful residents
Texas CHIP
Lawful residents
New York (CHP)
All children

Florida Medicaid

  • Florida KidCare phone line: 1-888-540-5437
  • Florida KidCare portal: floridakidcare.org
  • DCF MyACCESS portal: myaccess.myflfamilies.com
Visit the official Florida Medicaid website

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