Free Health Care for Newborn Babies in Florida

Newborn babies require health care for numerous reasons. Immediately after birth, they usually spend a day or two in a hospital with their mothers. In some cases complications occur and then newborns require longer hospital stays and more costly medical care. In the first months of life, newborns should receive a number of vaccinations against various diseases and receive regular checkups to make sure they are developing normally and have not developed any medical problems. While newborn babies need regular health care, families with low incomes and no health insurance may have trouble paying for health care for their infants.

Medicaid

• Florida Medicaid pays for health care for newborn babies whose families have low incomes. Covered health care services include well child care, vaccinations, prescription medications when needed, circumcision, hospital care immediately following delivery including treatment in a Level III Special Care Nursery if necessary, visits to doctors or clinics, treatment in hospital emergency rooms and any necessary medical tests.

Grants

• Newborn babies in Florida may qualify for some grants to help with health care costs if they have serious medical problems. Some foundations that offer grants for newborns review applications and disburse funds quickly, but it may take some time to receive funds from others. Some foundations that offer grants for newborns in Florida include the United Healthcare Children's Foundation and the American Kidney Fund.

Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act

• The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act requires hospitals to provide treatment to women in labor even if they have no medical insurance coverage and no ability to pay for the treatment they receive. Women in labor can go to any hospital emergency room and, if the hospital provides maternity care, women will be admitted to the labor and delivery unit. If the hospital does not provide maternity care, women will be transferred to another hospital that does, unless there is no time to transfer them before delivery, in which case their children will be delivered in the emergency room. The newborn babies will also receive health care immediately after birth, even if mothers have no health insurance and no ability to pay for their babies' care.

Other Sources of Free Health Care

• Some clinics in Florida provide medical treatment to newborns on a sliding scale, meaning they base fees on patients' incomes. Newborns from families with very low incomes may qualify for free health care.