Jennifer Lynn Peters is an early childhood educator and mother of two, who lives in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.
AGE: 31
CHILDREN: Andrew (9) & Leah (6)
WORK: Assistant Director, Early Childcare Center
In 2014, Jennifer, an Ohio native and single mom, found herself working at a job she loved at an early leaning center, but without the option of healthcare benefits from her employer. She felt stranded when it came to healthcare options for her family. Through a friend’s reference, Jennifer learned about the Cover Jacksonville program and that Florida KidCare coverage may be an option for her children. An enrollment assistor met her at work, during her lunch hour, to help with the enrollment process — for free.
“I’m so thankful for Florida’s KidCare Program! Now if my children get sick or injured while participating in sports activities it won’t be a huge financial burden on my family. I have real peace of mind.”
Jennifer’s former spouse was in the military. She lost healthcare coverage when they divorced, but the children remained covered under TriCare, until he ended his military service. Then the children no longer qualified for coverage, thus, leaving Jennifer stressed.
“Unfortunately, there are not a lot of low-cost, quality options available to parents.” says Jennifer, who had a four-month gap when the kids coverage ended before learning about Florida KidCare. “I was a nervous wreck as both of my children needed physicals for school and current vaccinations. At one point, my daughter was so sick that I had to take her to the emergency room and pay all the expenses.”
Florida KidCare is much more reliable, cost-effective and efficient. “Needless to say, having high-quality, low-cost health insurance for my children has had a huge impact on my budget. Plus, I was able to keep the same doctors my kids had prior to enrolling, so we didn’t have to worry about transferring records or getting to know a new physician.”
Now she advises others to check out the program. “I encourage every family to explore Florida KidCare. You never know when your child will get sick or injured and not having coverage could be financially devastating.”