After a 3-year campaign to make much needed improvments to KidCare - Florida's State Children's Health Insurance Program - faith leaders from PICO Florida are celebrating unanimous passage last week of state legislation in both the House and Senate. The bill will now be on its way to the Governor for his signature.

As part of the campaign, PICO leaders from Federation of Congregations United to Serve (FOCUS) in Orlando; Congregations for Community Action (CCA) in Melbourne; Greater Pensacola Community Organization (GPCO) in Pensacola; and ACTION Network in Gainesville worked closely with Florida's Children's Health Coalition to build support for and pass this legislation.  PICO leaders traveled to Tallahassee numerous times to meet with the Governor, legislators and their staff, taken hundreds of letters to the governor and legislative leaders, made hundreds of phone calls, sent emails, and held press conferences.  They are now working to ensure that Gov. Crist signs the legislation.

The legislation - SB 918 - includes a number of measures that are intended to streamline the Florida KidCare process including:

• Reducing the disenrollment penalty for non-payment of premiums from 60 days to 30 days
• Reducing the waiting period for voluntary cancellation of insurance coverage from 6 months to 60 days
• Providing good cause exceptions to the waiting period for subsidized coverage for cancellation of other coverage
• Allowing electronic verification of income

An additional piece of legislation - SB 338\HB 807 - that would make improvements to KidCare outreach and enrollment also cleared both chambers after the Senate voted the bill out, also unanimously.