FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 11, 2004 
CONTACT: Kim Reed (850) 922-5871

Medicaid Medically Needy Program Extends Eligibility to Recipients

--Agency urges residents to access a 30 day supply of medication--

Tallahassee - The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) announced today Governor Jeb Bush has directed a one-month extension for Medicaid Medically Needy recipients who are unable to certify medical expenses through the Department of Children and Families (DCF), due to office closings or other issues resulting from hurricane damaged areas. The one-month extension allows for beneficiaries who were approved for August to continue to receive benefits for the month of September. Medically Needy is also known as the "share of cost" program.

This action is critical as officials again urged Floridians to access a 30-day supply of medications before Hurricane Ivan threatens to make

landfall. Due to closures of pharmacies and potential power outages, it

is critical that those on maintenance medications for chronic conditions take appropriate measures to access their necessary medications. The Office of Insurance Regulation has ordered insurers to waive any policies preventing early access to a 30-day supply of medications, and the Florida Medicaid program has waived its policies.

"The Governor is clearly committed to providing continuity of services for Florida's most vulnerable citizens," said Alan Levine, Secretary of AHCA. "It is absolutely critical that people who need their medications not have their access impaired because of barriers created by the hurricanes. So I applaud the Governor for taking these steps."

Beneficiaries should continue checking with their local DCF offices for information on re-openings since regular operations for Medically Needy eligibility determinations will resume in October. Medicaid officials indicate about 35,000 people will have their eligibility extended through September. Most are people who have recurring medical expenses that cause them to be eligible each month.

Working to improve access to affordable, quality health care to all Floridians, the state Agency for Health Care Administration administers Florida's $14 billion Medicaid program, licenses and regulates more than 32,000 health care facilities and 28 health maintenance organizations, and publishes health care data and statistics.

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