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The Florida Senate

2005 Florida Statutes

Section 624.91, Florida Statutes 2005

624.91  The Florida Healthy Kids Corporation Act.--

(1)  SHORT TITLE.--This section may be cited as the "William G. 'Doc' Myers Healthy Kids Corporation Act."

(2)  LEGISLATIVE INTENT.--

(a)  The Legislature finds that increased access to health care services could improve children's health and reduce the incidence and costs of childhood illness and disabilities among children in this state. Many children do not have comprehensive, affordable health care services available. It is the intent of the Legislature that the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation provide comprehensive health insurance coverage to such children. The corporation is encouraged to cooperate with any existing health service programs funded by the public or the private sector.

(b)  It is the intent of the Legislature that the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation serve as one of several providers of services to children eligible for medical assistance under Title XXI of the Social Security Act. Although the corporation may serve other children, the Legislature intends the primary recipients of services provided through the corporation be school-age children with a family income below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, who do not qualify for Medicaid. It is also the intent of the Legislature that state and local government Florida Healthy Kids funds be used to continue coverage, subject to specific appropriations in the General Appropriations Act, to children not eligible for federal matching funds under Title XXI.

(3)  ELIGIBILITY FOR STATE-FUNDED ASSISTANCE.--Only the following individuals are eligible for state-funded assistance in paying Florida Healthy Kids premiums:

(a)  Residents of this state who are eligible for the Florida KidCare program pursuant to s. 409.814

(b)  Notwithstanding s. 409.814, legal aliens who are enrolled in the Florida Healthy Kids program as of January 31, 2004, who do not qualify for Title XXI federal funds because they are not qualified aliens as defined in s. 409.811

(c)  Notwithstanding s. 409.814, individuals who have attained the age of 19 as of March 31, 2004, who were receiving Florida Healthy Kids benefits prior to the enactment of the Florida KidCare program. This paragraph shall be repealed March 31, 2005.

(d)  Notwithstanding s. 409.814, state employee dependents who were enrolled in the Florida Healthy Kids program as of January 31, 2004. Such individuals shall remain eligible until January 1, 2005.

(4)  NONENTITLEMENT.--Nothing in this section shall be construed as providing an individual with an entitlement to health care services. No cause of action shall arise against the state, the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation, or a unit of local government for failure to make health services available under this section.

(5)  CORPORATION AUTHORIZATION, DUTIES, POWERS.--

(a)  There is created the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation, a not-for-profit corporation.

(b)  The Florida Healthy Kids Corporation shall:

1.  Arrange for the collection of any family, local contributions, or employer payment or premium, in an amount to be determined by the board of directors, to provide for payment of premiums for comprehensive insurance coverage and for the actual or estimated administrative expenses.

2.  Arrange for the collection of any voluntary contributions to provide for payment of premiums for children who are not eligible for medical assistance under Title XXI of the Social Security Act. Each fiscal year, the corporation shall establish a local match policy for the enrollment of non-Title-XXI-eligible children in the Healthy Kids program. By May 1 of each year, the corporation shall provide written notification of the amount to be remitted to the corporation for the following fiscal year under that policy. Local match sources may include, but are not limited to, funds provided by municipalities, counties, school boards, hospitals, health care providers, charitable organizations, special taxing districts, and private organizations. The minimum local match cash contributions required each fiscal year and local match credits shall be determined by the General Appropriations Act. The corporation shall calculate a county's local match rate based upon that county's percentage of the state's total non-Title-XXI expenditures as reported in the corporation's most recently audited financial statement. In awarding the local match credits, the corporation may consider factors including, but not limited to, population density, per capita income, and existing child-health-related expenditures and services.

3.  Subject to the provisions of s. 409.8134, accept voluntary supplemental local match contributions that comply with the requirements of Title XXI of the Social Security Act for the purpose of providing additional coverage in contributing counties under Title XXI.

4.  Establish the administrative and accounting procedures for the operation of the corporation.

5.  Establish, with consultation from appropriate professional organizations, standards for preventive health services and providers and comprehensive insurance benefits appropriate to children, provided that such standards for rural areas shall not limit primary care providers to board-certified pediatricians.

6.  Determine eligibility for children seeking to participate in the Title XXI-funded components of the Florida KidCare program consistent with the requirements specified in s. 409.814, as well as the non-Title-XXI-eligible children as provided in subsection (3).

7.  Establish procedures under which providers of local match to, applicants to and participants in the program may have grievances reviewed by an impartial body and reported to the board of directors of the corporation.

8.  Establish participation criteria and, if appropriate, contract with an authorized insurer, health maintenance organization, or third-party administrator to provide administrative services to the corporation.

9.  Establish enrollment criteria which shall include penalties or waiting periods of not fewer than 60 days for reinstatement of coverage upon voluntary cancellation for nonpayment of family premiums.

10.  Contract with authorized insurers or any provider of health care services, meeting standards established by the corporation, for the provision of comprehensive insurance coverage to participants. Such standards shall include criteria under which the corporation may contract with more than one provider of health care services in program sites. Health plans shall be selected through a competitive bid process. The Florida Healthy Kids Corporation shall purchase goods and services in the most cost-effective manner consistent with the delivery of quality medical care. The maximum administrative cost for a Florida Healthy Kids Corporation contract shall be 15 percent. For health care contracts, the minimum medical loss ratio for a Florida Healthy Kids Corporation contract shall be 85 percent. For dental contracts, the remaining compensation to be paid to the authorized insurer or provider under a Florida Healthy Kids Corporation contract shall be no less than an amount which is 85 percent of premium; to the extent any contract provision does not provide for this minimum compensation, this section shall prevail. The health plan selection criteria and scoring system, and the scoring results, shall be available upon request for inspection after the bids have been awarded.

11.  Establish disenrollment criteria in the event local matching funds are insufficient to cover enrollments.

12.  Develop and implement a plan to publicize the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation, the eligibility requirements of the program, and the procedures for enrollment in the program and to maintain public awareness of the corporation and the program.

13.  Secure staff necessary to properly administer the corporation. Staff costs shall be funded from state and local matching funds and such other private or public funds as become available. The board of directors shall determine the number of staff members necessary to administer the corporation.

14.  Provide a report annually to the Governor, Chief Financial Officer, Commissioner of Education, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Minority Leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

15.  Establish benefit packages which conform to the provisions of the Florida KidCare program, as created in ss. 409.810-409.820.

(c)  Coverage under the corporation's program is secondary to any other available private coverage held by, or applicable to, the participant child or family member. Insurers under contract with the corporation are the payors of last resort and must coordinate benefits with any other third-party payor that may be liable for the participant's medical care.

(d)  The Florida Healthy Kids Corporation shall be a private corporation not for profit, organized pursuant to chapter 617, and shall have all powers necessary to carry out the purposes of this act, including, but not limited to, the power to receive and accept grants, loans, or advances of funds from any public or private agency and to receive and accept from any source contributions of money, property, labor, or any other thing of value, to be held, used, and applied for the purposes of this act.

(6)  BOARD OF DIRECTORS.--

(a)  The Florida Healthy Kids Corporation shall operate subject to the supervision and approval of a board of directors chaired by the Chief Financial Officer or her or his designee, and composed of 10 other members selected for 3-year terms of office as follows:

1.  The Secretary of Health Care Administration, or his or her designee;

2.  One member appointed by the Commissioner of Education from the Office of School Health Programs of the Florida Department of Education;

3.  One member appointed by the Chief Financial Officer from among three members nominated by the Florida Pediatric Society;

4.  One member, appointed by the Governor, who represents the Children's Medical Services Program;

5.  One member appointed by the Chief Financial Officer from among three members nominated by the Florida Hospital Association;

6.  One member, appointed by the Governor, who is an expert on child health policy;

7.  One member, appointed by the Chief Financial Officer, from among three members nominated by the Florida Academy of Family Physicians;

8.  One member, appointed by the Governor, who represents the state Medicaid program;

9.  One member, appointed by the Chief Financial Officer, from among three members nominated by the Florida Association of Counties; and

10.  The State Health Officer or her or his designee.

(b)  A member of the board of directors may be removed by the official who appointed that member. The board shall appoint an executive director, who is responsible for other staff authorized by the board.

(c)  Board members are entitled to receive, from funds of the corporation, reimbursement for per diem and travel expenses as provided by s. 112.061

(d)  There shall be no liability on the part of, and no cause of action shall arise against, any member of the board of directors, or its employees or agents, for any action they take in the performance of their powers and duties under this act.

(7)  LICENSING NOT REQUIRED; FISCAL OPERATION.--

(a)  The corporation shall not be deemed an insurer. The officers, directors, and employees of the corporation shall not be deemed to be agents of an insurer. Neither the corporation nor any officer, director, or employee of the corporation is subject to the licensing requirements of the insurance code or the rules of the Department of Financial Services. However, any marketing representative utilized and compensated by the corporation must be appointed as a representative of the insurers or health services providers with which the corporation contracts.

(b)  The board has complete fiscal control over the corporation and is responsible for all corporate operations.

(c)  The Department of Financial Services shall supervise any liquidation or dissolution of the corporation and shall have, with respect to such liquidation or dissolution, all power granted to it pursuant to the insurance code.

(8)  ACCESS TO RECORDS; CONFIDENTIALITY; PENALTIES.--Notwithstanding any other laws to the contrary, the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation shall have access to the medical records of a student upon receipt of permission from a parent or guardian of the student. Such medical records may be maintained by state and local agencies. Any identifying information, including medical records and family financial information, obtained by the corporation pursuant to this subsection is confidential and is exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1). Neither the corporation nor the staff or agents of the corporation may release, without the written consent of the participant or the parent or guardian of the participant, to any state or federal agency, to any private business or person, or to any other entity, any confidential information received pursuant to this subsection. A violation of this subsection is a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083

History.--s. 1, ch. 90-199; s. 1, ch. 91-188; s. 30, ch. 91-201; s. 5, ch. 91-429; s. 7, ch. 93-78; s. 21, ch. 93-129; s. 1, ch. 96-337; s. 368, ch. 96-406; s. 28, ch. 96-418; s. 9, ch. 96-420; s. 1722, ch. 97-102; s. 8, ch. 97-153; s. 54, ch. 98-288; s. 5, ch. 99-357; s. 20, ch. 2001-377; s. 32, ch. 2002-400; s. 14, ch. 2002-404; s. 21, ch. 2003-405; s. 6, ch. 2004-1; s. 20, ch. 2004-270.