Florida Rules & Regulations for Medical Coverage

Florida is one of the better states in the nation when it comes to accessibility to medical coverage. Regulations for medical coverage extend far and wide--primarily because of Cover Florida. Funded without tax revenues and provided by six private insurance companies, Cover Florida gives residents an assortment of health-insurance opportunities. While these options were chosen by the Florida state government through an exhaustive requisition process offering residents affordable coverage, there are several rules to digest.

Eligibility for Medical Coverage

• Florida helps residents find coverage to access a doctor.

  If you are a Florida resident not covered through Medicaid, Medicare or an employer's private health plan, Cover Florida will provide you coverage. Age, loss of prior benefits and death of a spouse determine eligibility rules to access this medical coverage. As outlined on the Cover Florida Health Care website, you must be between 19 and 64 years of age and have been without health coverage for at least six months. You may also be eligible if you are without coverage due to the loss of a job or the death of a spouse through whom you had employer-provided insurance.

Employer Provisions

• Medical coverage in Florida can include tax incentives.

  Cover Florida policies are individual plans, which makes them transferable between employers. Employers who do not provide a private health-insurance plan of their own may choose to contribute to the cost of Cover Florida coverage for their employees. According to the Cover Florida Health Care website, businesses may also help staff members with a payroll deduction, offering a "pre-tax benefit" for individual workers and a "payroll tax break for the employer."

Medical Coverage Setbacks

• Be careful: Cover Florida plans may cost you a bundle out of pocket.

  Cover Florida medical coverage may offer plans which benefit patients with pre-existing conditions, but not every Floridian may be granted coverage. Cover Florida plans are not required by law to encompass all of the state's authorized benefits, and plans can also contain payout expenses by limiting visits to the doctor or the number of days in the hospital that a policyholder may be covered. According to Cover Florida Health Care, some plans may even be without "catastrophic and hospital coverage."

  Examine all available rules and regulations for medical coverage in Florida--and choose wisely.