Florida Families Face Health Care Crisis Amid Medicaid Cuts

Recent cuts to Medicaid in Florida have left families grappling with the loss of essential health care services. For many parents, like Jennifer Wiedmeyer, the implications are profound and personal. Her son, Hayden, who suffers from DiGeorge syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that compromises his immune system, has seen his health care options drastically reduced following an unexpected termination of his coverage in 2023.

Wiedmeyer discovered the loss of her son’s insurance when attempting to schedule an appointment for his regular medical check-ups. “They called me back and said, ‘Well, actually, you don’t have insurance,’” she recounted. This shocking revelation came as Florida’s Medicaid programs face extensive cuts under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a policy shift that threatens the health of vulnerable children across the state.

Impact on Children’s Health Care in Florida

With approximately 2.3 million children in Florida relying on Medicaid, the stakes are high. For children like Hayden, the potential loss of coverage translates into a lack of access to vital treatments and medications. Despite having multiple heart conditions, which require regular monitoring, Hayden has missed essential tests including echocardiograms and EKGs since April 2024 due to the lack of insurance.

Research from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health indicates that most children in the United States will rely on Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) at some point before they reach adulthood. Unfortunately, many lose this coverage intermittently. This instability can lead to significant medical debt for families and delays in accessing necessary health services, such as immunizations and dental care.

Children born in non-expansion states like Florida are particularly vulnerable; findings show that up to 59% experience at least one period without insurance, compared to 36% in states that have expanded Medicaid. In Florida, the median duration without coverage can span 18 months, significantly longer than in states that have opted for expansion.

Financial Consequences of Medicaid Cuts

The potential financial ramifications for Florida are staggering. The state could see a loss of $3.8 billion in Medicaid funding over the coming years, a situation that poses a direct threat to the health care access of its most vulnerable residents, particularly children. According to Joan Alker, executive director of the Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families, Florida’s child uninsured rate has risen from 7.4% in 2022 to 8.5% in 2024. This translates to an estimated 67,000 additional uninsured children eligible for Medicaid since the beginning of the pandemic.

Previous studies have shown that when states expand Medicaid for parents, there is a corresponding increase in enrollment among eligible children who were previously uninsured. In response to the ongoing crisis, advocates have initiated a ballot initiative aimed at allowing Florida voters to decide on expanding Medicaid access.

The data indicates that many eligible children remain unenrolled simply because their parents do not qualify for benefits. Even before the recent cuts, only one in four children in Florida had continuous health coverage. Through research using national data, it has been established that while 61% of children were ever enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP, 42% were uninsured at least once during childhood.

For families like the Wiedmeyers, these cuts represent more than just statistical reductions; they signify a dire need for comprehensive health care support. “You have to be a millionaire,” Jennifer Wiedmeyer stated. “If you have a kid with special needs, you literally have to be a millionaire — and you wouldn’t be one for very long.”

As the situation continues to unfold, it is clear that the impacts of Medicaid cuts extend far beyond numbers, potentially altering the lives of families who depend on these critical health care services.