Children eligible for KidCare represented approximately 47 percent of Florida's children, birth to age 19, and of these Medicaid represents the largest amount. Of children eligible for KidCare approximately 21 percent were found to be uninsured in 2002.^{(9), (6)}   While data evaluations from these programs are limited, they do represent a group of families and children at greater risk of poor health outcomes.

Source: KidCare monthly enrollment report, September 2002

Figure 83: Proportion of Children by Public Health Insurance Programs for Families with Incomes Below 200% of Poverty in Florida, September 2002

Children with Special Health Care Needs Regular visits for primary and preventive care are even more important for children who have special health care needs to assure that secondary conditions do not develop, to provide much support and guidance to families and children and to monitor conditions. Because all children can become sick or injured, ongoing health care provides the greater likelihood that threats to development and health will be identified before becoming disabling.

Florida lacks prevalence data on children's overall health status, unmet medical needs, and usual source of medical care. National prevalence data is available from the National Health Interveiw Survey (Centers for Disease Control, National Center for Health Statistics). Florida data is available on children in the KidCare state health insurance program through evaluations of the program^{(6, 10-12)}, Medicaid reports and ad-hoc or intermittent statewide surveys of the uninsured.⁽⁸⁾  These Florida data are used in this report as a surrogate, until an ongoing statewide data source is available on all children and youth. National studies have consistently found that children from low-income families are at increased risk of poor health status. Yet, because insurance is a protective factor for improved health status, it is critical that more data become available on health needs and outcomes of uninsured children and their families.