A Third With Medicaid Chose Own Plan

WUSF | By Associated Press

Published August 21, 2014 at 1:10 PM EDT

Only about one-third of Florida’s Medicaid recipients transitioning into managed care statewide chose their own health insurance plans.

Enrollment for the general population started in May and ended in August. Consumers received a letter in the mail two months before enrollment and were given at least 30 days to choose an insurance plan. Those who did not choose a plan were automatically enrolled into a plan by state health officials.

State health officials said 34 percent of Medicaid recipients chose their plan while 66 percent were assigned one. But nearly half of the 66 percent who were automatically enrolled were assigned to a plan they had a prior relationship with.

About 3 million Floridians are on Medicaid — more than half of whom are children.