FLORIDA MEDICAID PROGRAM - Essay Example

Florida Medicaid Program In the of Florida, Medicaid is a program that is backed by the federal and government that is provided to help people who are considered low income. The program provides medical assistance to people and their children who may not be able to afford medical care in any other way. In Florida, this program began in 1970 and expanded the program in 1989 when all states were mandated to help children up to the age of 21. the agency that is responsible for administering Medicaid in Florida is Florida Medicaid is the Agency for Health Care Administration.

However, they do not determine eligibility. There are many organizations like The Social Security Administration which determines eligibility for the disabled and The Florida Department of Children andFamilies (DCF) that determines eligibility for children, the elderly, families and people who need institutional care (Agency for Health Care Administration, 2009, p. 9). Because there are several agencies that are responsible for the eligibility requirements, it is difficult to state exactly all of the criteria.

However, most of the agencies say that the criteria includes:1. Parents and their children who are 18 or younger and who have "countable income" of less than $2,000.2. Individual who have applied for and receive Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA).3. Relatives or caretakers of children who are under the age of 18.4. Pregnant women with or without other kids.5. They must be a Florida resident and have income that is within the poverty guidelines of the state.6. They must be a U.S. Citizen or they must be a qualified non-citizen.

(Florida Department of Children and Families, 2009, p. 5). Florida does many programs for children. One program is the S-CHIP program also referred to as Florida KidCare. According to the state mandates, states can have a program that includes a separate S-CHIP program, a Medicaid expansion program or a combination of both. Florida operates a combination program (National Academy for State Health Policy, n.d.). The program is provided for "targeted" low income children to provide healthcare. In Florida, families must meet the requirement of being 200% of the federal poverty level in order to get services.

There are several benefits to having this program. The following services are covered:1. Physicians2. Hospital inpatient services3. Mental health services whether the child is an inpatient or outpatient.4. Private duty nursing where necessary.5. Home health services.6. Drugs7. Dental services for both preventative and regular treatment.8. Glasses, hearing aids and prosthetic devices.(National Academy for State Health Policy, n.d.) The goal of the S-CHIP program is to make sure that children who would otherwise not have health care will have it.

Florida provides continuous eligibility for a full year and families are sent an application every 30 days; this makes sure that children are covered on a continuous basis and so they will note be dropped from the program.ReferencesAgency for Health Care Administration. (2009). Medicaid summary of benefits 2008- 2009.. Retrieved November 22, 2009 from http://www.fdhc.state.fl.us/ Medicaid/pdffiles/SS_08_080701_SOS.pdf.Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. (2009). Medicaid. Retrieved November 23, 2009 from http://www.fdhc.state.fl.us/medicaid/.

Florida Department of Children and Families. (2006). General information about Medicaid. Retrieved November 23, 2009 from http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/ess/medicaid.shtml.Florida Department of Children and Families. (2009). Family-Related Medicaid programs Fact Sheet. Retrieved November 23, 2009 from http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/ess/fammedfactsheet.pdf.National Academy for State Health Policy. (n.d.). Florida KidCare. Retrieved November 23, 2009 from http://www.aap.org/advocacy/washing/SCHIP_factsheets/ Florida_SCHIP.pdf.