More than 43,000 children were disenrolled from the Florida KidCare program for nonpayment of premiums 鈥� 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鈥檛 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 () that increased eligibility for the program by boosting the maximum qualifying income from 200% to 300% of the . That鈥檚 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鈥檛 say how many children have been dropped from Florida KidCare
鈥淚 don鈥檛 have that information handy, but I鈥檇 be certainly happy to work with our Florida Healthy Kids Corp. partners on that information,鈥� 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鈥檛 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.
The continuous eligibility requirement doesn鈥檛 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鈥檛 鈥渧erify鈥� 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鈥檛 know.
鈥淚 want to verify the number of families that are off KidCare currently. I know you were asked this question and you didn鈥檛 have the data,鈥� Bartleman said, asking him to verify removal of 17,510 children with subsidized coverage and another 8,614 full-pay children. 鈥淐an you verify those numbers?鈥�
Meyer replied: 鈥淚鈥檓 not able to verify those numbers at this time; I don鈥檛 have those in front of me.鈥� He added that he would be happy to follow up.
The Florida Health Justice Project Policy Director Melanie Williams wasn鈥檛 surprised by Meyer鈥檚 answers.
鈥淭his is consistent with (the Agency for Health Care Administration鈥檚) pattern of not wanting to be accountable to the Legislature about the actions it is taking鈥揳nd more importantly, not taking鈥搊n 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.鈥�
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.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got to do something about it.We can鈥檛 have 43,000 more children uninsured,鈥� 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 鈥渁lternate universe.鈥� He, too, said he鈥檇 revisit the. issue.
This story has been updated with comment from the Florida Health Justice Project.
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