Hide and Seek in Florida

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http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/05/opinion/05HERB.html?th

 

March 5, 2004OP-ED COLUMNIST Hide and Seek in FloridaBy BOB HERBERT

 

I wrote a column back in January about the tens of thousands of youngsters from

low-income families who were eligible for a children's health insurance program

in Florida but, instead of being allowed into the program, were diverted by

state officials to a long waiting list.

 

Even children with serious health problems were put on the list. Conni Wells,

director of the Florida Institute for Family Involvement, which advises families

on health matters, told me at the time, " We've had families tell us they've put

off buying groceries so they can afford to take their child to the doctor. "

 

The program is called KidCare. It's Florida's version of the nationally popular

and successful Children's Health Insurance Program, known as CHIP, which covers

families with incomes too low to pay for private health insurance but not low

enough to qualify for Medicaid.

 

The attention given to the Florida waiting list by the news media embarrassed

the state Republican Party, which controls the governorship and both houses of

the State Legislature.

 

So here's the good news: The Legislature is expected to approve a measure that

would end up providing coverage to about 90,000 of the 100,000 or so youngsters

on the waiting list at the end of January.

 

The rest of the news is not good. Republican leaders in the Florida House and

Senate have crafted the new legislation in ways that will radically limit future

access to KidCare and prevent the press and the public from getting information

about the number of kids who are frozen out.

 

At least we knew over the past several months that children were being put on a

waiting list. Under the new legislation, eligible youngsters who are denied

enrollment in KidCare will not be put on a waiting list. There won't be any

waiting list.

 

Robert Greenstein, director of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which

has been monitoring the developments in Florida, said, " Politically, what that

means is that nobody — not us, not you, not anyone — would be able at any point

to say that 30,000 or 50,000 or 80,000 or 100,000 kids are on the waiting list

because there would no longer be any record of a waiting list. "

 

At the same time, the enrollment process would be sharply curtailed. Under the

new legislation, there would be only two 30-day periods each year in which

parents would be allowed to try to enroll their children in KidCare. Worse, the

state would not be required to actually conduct those two enrollment periods.

State officials could simply declare, for budgetary reasons, that there would be

no enrollment in a given year.

 

This is mean-spirited stuff. We are finding new and ingenious ways in this

country to wreak havoc on low-income people.

 

" This legislation will hurt families in the long run, " said Karen Woodall, who

has been a prominent advocate for children in Florida for more than two decades.

" It's about keeping families out of the program, not expanding coverage. It's

almost like this bill is a vindictive measure in response to those who forced

the issue of funding the waiting list. "

 

Limiting access to KidCare will also jeopardize access to Medicaid, which

provides crucial health coverage to the poor. In Florida and other states, a

significant number of children whose families attempt to enroll them in a CHIP

program turn out to be eligible for Medicaid coverage, which is not capped or

frozen.

 

Whatever happens with the KidCare legislation, poor families in Florida will

still be able to apply for Medicaid coverage. But there are many families who

don't realize they are eligible for Medicaid, which is why they reach out to

KidCare. Many of these families, instead of learning that Medicaid coverage is

available to them, are likely to become lost in the tangled web that is being

woven around access to KidCare.

 

The Florida Senate passed its version of the KidCare legislation yesterday in a

vote that ran strictly along party lines, with Republicans for the measure and

Democrats against. The House will now consider passage.

 

The office of Gov. Jeb Bush has been coy about the legislation. A spokeswoman

would say only that the governor believes KidCare should be reformed.

 

Anne Gannon, a Democratic member of the Florida House from Delray Beach, said

she thought the bill would achieve final passage. She added, in a tone of

disgust, that the result would be to limit access to " probably the most

successful children's health program in the United States. "

 

 

 

E-mail: bobherb

 

Copyright 2004 The New York Times Com

 

 

 

 

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