More than 43,000 children were disenrolled from the Florida KidCare program for nonpayment of premiums — more than double the number the state previously provided to the Florida Phoenix, a state report shows.
A report obtained by the Florida Phoenix shows 17,430 children were disenrolled from the program between Sept. 1, 2024, and Aug. 31, 2025, for failing to pay the premium. Those children never re-enrolled and may have become uninsured.
But another 25,806 children also were briefly disenrolled from the Florida KidCare program after their family didn’t pay the required premium. Those children were re-enrolled during a 12-month period after premiums were eventually paid.
That means tens of thousands of children were removed from the health insurance program for children while the administration of Gov. Ron DeSantis has tussled with U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services over a requirement that children enrolled in federally funded programs must retain eligibility for one year.
The skirmish has prevented the state from implementing a 2023 Florida law (HB 121) that increased eligibility for the program by boosting the maximum qualifying income from 200% to 300% of the federal poverty level. That’s a difference between earning $64,300 for a family of four versus $96,450.
The Florida Phoenix reported Tuesday that Florida Medicaid Director Brian Meyer did not know the number of children who had been disenrolled from the program for nonpayment of premiums.
READ MORE: State can’t say how many children have been dropped from Florida KidCare
“I don’t have that information handy, but I’d be certainly happy to work with our Florida Healthy Kids Corp. partners on that information,” Myers told members of the Senate Health Policy Committee during his presentation on the program.
Following publication of our story, Florida Healthy Kids spokesperson Ashley Carr told the Phoenix that 17,510 children had been removed from the subsidized program during the period in question for failing to pay premiums. Another 8,614 children who weren’t receiving subsidies but were enrolled in the program lost coverage for nonpayment of premiums. Those children live in families that earn too much to qualify for subsidies but are willing to pay full costs of the health insurance plan.
The report obtained by the Florida Phoenix shows 8,511 full-pay children were disenrolled during the 12 month span and never signed back up for the program. Another 4,281 children were disenrolled for nonpayment but later signed back up and paid the full premium.
State reveals how many kids lost health coverage after being unable to do so in Senate committee
The continuous eligibility requirement doesn’t apply to children in those families because they earn too much to qualify. But they most likely would have qualified for subsidized coverage, which would have triggered the 12-month eligibility protection, had the DeSantis administration implemented HB 121.
Meyer can’t “verify” data
During a Wednesday morning meeting of the House Health Care Facilities & Systems Subcommittee meeting, Westin Democrat Robin Bartleman pressed Meyer about the number of children who have been disenrolled. And for the second time in as many days, Meyer said he didn’t know.
“I want to verify the number of families that are off KidCare currently. I know you were asked this question and you didn’t have the data,” Bartleman said, asking him to verify removal of 17,510 children with subsidized coverage and another 8,614 full-pay children. “Can you verify those numbers?”
Meyer replied: “I’m not able to verify those numbers at this time; I don’t have those in front of me.” He added that he would be happy to follow up.
The Florida Health Justice Project Policy Director Melanie Williams wasn’t surprised by Meyer’s answers.
“This is consistent with (the Agency for Health Care Administration’s) pattern of not wanting to be accountable to the Legislature about the actions it is taking–and more importantly, not taking–on legislation that has been passed. It is important that legislators continue to probe the facts regarding decisions the agency is making that are not consistent with legislative instruction.”
Follow up promised
Two senators told the Florida Phoenix Wednesday that they intended to follow up with Meyer and Florida Healthy Kids Corp. about the disenrollments.
“We’ve got to do something about it.We can’t have 43,000 more children uninsured,” Boynton Beach Democrat Sen. Lori Berman said.
When asked to comment on the deflated disenrollment data initially provided by the state, Pensacola Republican and former Senate President Sen. Don Gaetz joked the administration was living in an “alternate universe.” He, too, said he’d revisit the. issue.
This story has been updated with comment from the Florida Health Justice Project.
Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.
