All Roll Calls
Yes: 184 • No: 0
FloridaSB 14902025SenateWALLET
Children’s Medical Services Program
Sponsored By: Gayle Harrell (Republican)
Signed by Governor
AppropriationHealth PolicyAppropriations Committee on Health and Human ServicesFiscal PolicyHouse Calendar
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
8 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 0 costs, 3 mixed.
Home support for seriously ill children
Beginning July 1, 2025, the law requires an all-inclusive care program for children diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. The program provides hospice-like support at home, aiming to reduce hospital stays when appropriate. Enrollment in the former Children’s Medical Services Network is no longer a specified condition. Implementation requires approval from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Home-care redesign includes children needing nursing
Florida’s health care agency must develop a Medicaid home- and community-care waiver redesign that includes children receiving private duty nursing. The plan must propose service levels that help children stay at home or in their communities rather than institutions. The agency must consult families, advocates, providers, and Medicaid managed-care plans. Its report is due to the Governor and legislative leaders by December 31, 2025. The report must cover eligibility, benefits, timing, client counts, and actuarially sound costs for the first year and five-year projections. Participating Medicaid managed-care plans must provide services under the redesigned plan described in the report requirements.
KidCare benefit checks and premium help
Beginning July 1, 2025, KidCare plans need state insurance certification, except plans offered through the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation. Certified plans must meet, exceed, or be actuarially equivalent to benchmark benefits and have an approved rate. The former Children’s Medical Services Network certification exemption ends. The health care agency may increase premium assistance for contracted special-needs plans offering extra benefits or less restrictive service limits. No increase is required, and the law sets no amount.
KidCare protects children in special-needs plans
Beginning July 1, 2025, agency-contracted special-needs plans replace the Children’s Medical Services Network within Florida KidCare. CHIP-funded children identified through medical or behavioral screening qualify for assignment to these plans, but can opt out. Enrollment requires a completed application and Children’s Medical Services clinical screening; KidCare asset testing is removed. An adopted child remains eligible if the child had a disability at adoption and qualified for services before adoption. When the state’s estimating conference finds funding insufficient, children in contracted special-needs plans are exempt from last-in, first-out disenrollment.
Children’s care benefit and payment rules expire
Until its January 1, 2026, repeal, the program’s benefits provision requires managed-care benefits equivalent to specified Medicaid benefits. It also allows medically necessary early intervention, respite, genetic testing, genetic and nutrition counseling, and parent support. Beginning January 1, 2026, the law repeals separate service-delivery, care-quality, provider-reimbursement, and third-party payment rules. It also repeals program rules concerning provider qualifications, physicians, and private-sector services. These repeals end those statutory requirements and authorities; the supplied text does not establish which services or payments change.
Special-needs care eligibility and family fees
The law defines special health needs as serious, lasting physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional conditions requiring more care than usual. Program eligibility includes Medicaid children through age 20, CHIP children through age 18, and Medicaid-enrolled people with high-risk pregnancies. Children must have serious special health care needs. Subject to available funds, the Safety Net serves children through age 20 who do not qualify for Medicaid or CHIP. They must lack access to needed specialized care or essential family support because of provider shortages or limited money. Safety Net families pay fees based on a sliding scale set by the Department of Health.
Health department manages children’s foster care
The Department of Health administers Medical Foster Care, including recruitment, training, assessments, monitoring, admissions, and coordination with other agencies. The Children’s Medical Services program also includes hearing screening for newborns, infants, and toddlers, plus multidisciplinary assessments. Its listed services include the Title V special-needs program, the Safety Net, child protection teams, and sexual abuse treatment. Child abuse death review committees are also included.
Children’s health plan changes state agencies
Beginning July 1, 2025, Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration takes over the Children’s Medical Services Managed Care Plan. Staff, contracts, records, duties, and unspent money transfer from the Department of Health. Pending cases at 11:59 p.m. on June 30, 2025, continue with the new agency replacing the department. The health department retains clinical screening and ongoing consultation for children eligible for or enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP. Qualifying Medicaid children retain their existing statutory exemption but no longer must use the former Network. The law removes the Network’s eligible-plan status, its listing in the provider-fraud definition, and its special statewide contracting protections. It also ends birth-injury association reimbursements for the state’s funding share for infants receiving qualifying compensation awards.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Gayle Harrell
Republican • Senate
Cosponsors
Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services
Affiliation unavailable
Health Policy
Affiliation unavailable
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 4/30/2025
House Floor Vote
Yes: 112 • No: 0
Senate vote • 4/24/2025
Senate Floor Vote
Yes: 37 • No: 0
Senate vote • 4/22/2025
Fiscal Policy Vote
Yes: 17 • No: 0
Senate vote • 4/10/2025
Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services Vote
Yes: 8 • No: 0
Senate vote • 4/1/2025
Health Policy Vote
Yes: 10 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Chapter No. 2025-88
5/27/2025Approved by Governor
5/23/2025Signed by Officers and presented to Governor
5/21/2025Ordered enrolled
4/30/2025SenateCS passed; YEAS 112, NAYS 0
4/30/2025HouseRead 3rd time
4/30/2025HouseAdded to Third Reading Calendar
4/30/2025HousePlaced on 3rd reading
4/30/2025HouseRead 2nd time
4/30/2025House1st Reading (Committee Substitute 2)
4/29/2025HouseBill added to Special Order Calendar (4/30/2025)
4/29/2025HouseBill referred to House Calendar
4/29/2025HouseIn Messages
4/24/2025HouseCS passed; YEAS 37 NAYS 0 -SJ 544
4/24/2025SenateRead 3rd time -SJ 544
4/24/2025SenateRead 2nd time -SJ 544
4/24/2025SenatePlaced on Special Order Calendar, 04/24/25
4/22/2025SenatePlaced on Calendar, on 2nd reading
4/22/2025SenateFavorable by- Fiscal Policy; YEAS 17 NAYS 0
4/22/2025SenateOn Committee agenda-- Fiscal Policy, 04/22/25, 11:00 am, 412 Knott Building
4/17/2025SenateCS/CS by Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services read 1st time
4/15/2025SenateNow in Fiscal Policy
4/14/2025SenatePending reference review under Rule 4.7(2) - (Committee Substitute)
4/14/2025SenateCS/CS by Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services; YEAS 8 NAYS 0
4/10/2025SenateCS by Health Policy read 1st time
4/8/2025Senate
Bill Text
er
5/23/2025
c2
4/14/2025
c1
4/4/2025
Filed
2/27/2025