Two initiatives housed at the USF College of Public Health (COPH) are playing a critical role in expanding health care access for children and
families across Florida.
Florida Covering Kids and Families (FL-CKF), a nonprofit initiative housed at the COPH, leads two statewide efforts:
the Covering Florida Navigator Program (CFNP) and Connecting Kids to Coverage (CKC). Together, these programs collaborate with state agencies and community stakeholders
to provide outreach, education and enrollment assistance for the Federally Facilitated
Marketplace, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
By working in tandem, CFNP and CKC aim to reduce the number of uninsured residents
and improve access to affordable health care coverage across all 67 Florida counties.
The CFNP has maintained its position as a national leader in Navigator-assisted Qualified
Health Plan (QHP) enrollments through the Health Insurance Marketplace since 2016.
Over the years, the program’s performance has been closely aligned with its funding
allocation, reflecting a strong and consistent impact on increasing access to health
care. To date, Covering Florida has facilitated over 50,000 one-on-one consumer interactions,
reached more than 32,000 consumers from target populations, assisted over 5,700 individuals
with Medicaid/CHIP enrollment and supported over 8,300 QHP enrollments.
The program has contributed to 11%-22% of total QHP enrollments across all CMS-funded
Navigator programs from the 2016 to 2024 performance periods, making it one of the
highest-performing and most efficient initiatives in the nation. This success is a
direct result of the robust funding, with the CFNP being among the highest-funded
projects annually within the Navigator network. As such, the program continues to
play a pivotal role in expanding coverage and improving health care access for Floridians.
In March, the programs hosted a joint two-day convening at the COPH and the USF Marshall
Student Center, bringing together 15 partners from across the state. Themed around
innovation and collaboration, the event focused on addressing the challenges and opportunities
in reaching Florida’s populations.
Speakers included leading voices in public health and policy. Dr. Deanna Wathington,
president of the American Public Health Association and clinical director at REACHUP,
opened the gathering with remarks on the importance of community-driven initiatives
in health care reform. Attendees also heard from Dr. Steve Freedman, associate director of policy development, co-creator of Florida Healthy Kids and
current member of the KidCare Board of Directors. Freedman, a COPH professor of public
health policy, offered historical context and insights on ongoing legislative developments.
Scott Darius of Florida Voices for Health shared strategies for advancing health care
access, while additional contributions came from the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation
and Erica Monet Li of the Florida Policy Institute, who addressed Florida’s shifting
policy landscape.
Participants had the opportunity to develop and present storytelling narratives that
showcased the impact of their work at the local level.
“FL-CKF and CKC are more than programs—they are catalysts for lasting change,” said
Dr. Vickie Dugat, program director for Connecting Kids to Coverage. “Our work is driven by collaboration,
grounded in community needs and focused on building a healthier future for all Floridians.”
As both programs continue to expand their reach, the dedication of partners statewide
remains vital to achieving the shared goal of comprehensive health care coverage for
Florida’s children and families.
link