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A bill to be entitled

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An act relating to the Kidcare outreach program for

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uninsured children; requiring the Office of Program Policy

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Analysis and Government Accountability to perform a study

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of the outreach efforts of the Kidcare program; providing

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requirements for the study; requiring a report to the

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Legislature by a specified date; providing an effective

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date.

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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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     Section 1. The Office of Program Policy Analysis and

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Government Accountability shall perform a study of the

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effectiveness of the Kidcare outreach program for uninsured

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children. As part of determining the effectiveness of the

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program, OPPAGA shall examine the current practices of the Social

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Services Estimating Conference, the Department of Health, the

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Children's Medical Services, the Agency for Health Care

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Administration, the Department of Children and Family Services,

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the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation, and the Department of

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Education as they relate to determining expenditures,

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coordinating with other related health programs at the state and

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local levels to avoid duplication of effort and promote

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consistency, providing services to children participating in the

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Florida Kidcare program, making program information available to

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all Florida parents of eligible children, offering the services

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of the program to the target population, determining eligibility,

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providing medical assistance, and increasing enrollment in the

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Kidcare program. In addition to determining the effectiveness of

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the Kidcare outreach program, the report shall focus on local

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outreach in counties where the program enrollment is atypically

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low. The report shall examine how counties having higher

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enrollment levels reach the intended population. If the report

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finds deficiencies in the outreach process, the report shall

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provide options for correcting those deficiencies and shall

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include the projected cost of implementing those options. In

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conducting the study, the Office of Program Policy Analysis and

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Government Accountability shall consult with the Department of

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Health and the Department of Children and Family Services in

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addition to other interested entities that may offer experiences

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and perspectives unique to this area of research. The report

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shall be submitted to the President of the Senate and the Speaker

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of the House of Representatives by January 1, 2009.

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     Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.