Florida Department of Health, Division of Children’s Medical Services

Safety Net Program · About this organization

What you get

Help with specialty visits, tests, medicines, care coordination, diagnosis-specific dental care and special foods, and other approved services. The annual limit isn’t published here. Ask.

How to start

Call 855-901-5390 for the application. Gather income and insurance documents and arrange medical confirmation.

Good to know

Prior approval is required and does not guarantee payment; funds are first come, first served.
You must lack access to Medicaid or KidCare services. At most two qualifying conditions are covered.

The details, as published

B-ALL is in scope Not Published

Florida Children's Medical Services' Safety Net Program helps pay for specified outpatient specialty care, diagnostic testing, prescription medications, and care coordination for Florida-resident children with chronic or serious health conditions. The adopted clinical attestation includes all malignancies except those in remission for more than five years, so active pediatric B-ALL is within the published diagnosis range. A child must be age 21 or younger, meet the program's financial and clinical rules, and either be ineligible for Medicaid or KidCare or be unable to access services. A parent or caregiver starts by calling or emailing Children's Medical Services for an application, and all covered services require prior authorization and remain subject to the program's annual per-child limit and available funds.

Go to the official program ↗

What help you may get

Household Bills And Cash Assistance

Safety Net Program — household bills and cash assistance

Amount not published

Can cover

Care coordination for up to two qualifying health conditions
Dental services for cleft lip or palate diagnoses and craniofacial anomalies
Diagnostic testing
Low-protein modified foods for phenylketonuria and other inherited metabolic disorders
Other services as approved
Outpatient specialty physician services
Prescription medications

Families may have to pay part of the service cost under a sliding fee scale.
Provider authorization does not guarantee payment.
The official page states that there is a limit to what Safety Net can pay per child each year, but it does not publish the amount.
Services may be authorized during the program year, subject to the unpublished annual per-child limit and available funds.

Medical And Insurance Costs

Safety Net Program — medical and insurance costs

Amount not published

Can cover

Care coordination for up to two qualifying health conditions
Dental services for cleft lip or palate diagnoses and craniofacial anomalies
Diagnostic testing
Low-protein modified foods for phenylketonuria and other inherited metabolic disorders
Other services as approved
Outpatient specialty physician services
Prescription medications

Families may have to pay part of the service cost under a sliding fee scale.
Provider authorization does not guarantee payment.
The official page states that there is a limit to what Safety Net can pay per child each year, but it does not publish the amount.
Services may be authorized during the program year, subject to the unpublished annual per-child limit and available funds.

Navigation Guides And Advocacy

Safety Net Program — navigation guides and advocacy

Amount not published

Can cover

Care coordination for up to two qualifying health conditions
Dental services for cleft lip or palate diagnoses and craniofacial anomalies
Diagnostic testing
Low-protein modified foods for phenylketonuria and other inherited metabolic disorders
Other services as approved
Outpatient specialty physician services
Prescription medications

Families may have to pay part of the service cost under a sliding fee scale.
Provider authorization does not guarantee payment.
The official page states that there is a limit to what Safety Net can pay per child each year, but it does not publish the amount.
Services may be authorized during the program year, subject to the unpublished annual per-child limit and available funds.

Check the main eligibility rules

Diagnosis

B-ALL is in scope. The official CMS clinical eligibility attestation lists ICD-10 C00-D48, all malignancies except those in remission for more than five years; active pediatric B-ALL is within that diagnosis range.

Age

Age 0 to age 20, measured at application.

The adopted clinical attestation describes the attested patient as under age 21; the current program page's age statement was used for this record because it is the current program-specific source.
The current Safety Net page says a child must be age 21 or younger.

Treatment status

Active Treatment

Provider confirmation is not published as mandatory.
Clinical eligibility may be established through Children's Medical Services screening or through physician attestation.
For a covered service, the provider must submit a plan of care and supporting medical documentation for prior authorization.
The provider must complete the program's registration requirements before submitting claims.
The application requires proof of insurance or a denial from Medicaid or KidCare.
The child must be ineligible for Florida Medicaid or KidCare, or must be unable to access services.

Financial need is required.

Families may have to pay part of the cost based on a sliding fee scale.
Household income documentation
The current program page says the child must meet Medicaid or KidCare financial requirements and sliding-fee criteria, but it does not publish the numerical thresholds or sliding-fee table.
A copy of household income is required with the application.
The program has a per-child annual payment limit, but the amount is not published.

Where you live and where your child is treated

Where your family lives

You must live in: FL.

The child must be a Florida resident.

Where your child is treated

No treatment-location restriction is published.

How to get started

Does a social worker or care team need to start it? No. A required care-team start is not published; the family can use the available route below.

Who can start: Caregiver, Healthcare Team, Parent Or Guardian

Call Children's Medical Services at 855-901-5390 or email CMSClinicalEligibilityUnit@FLHealth.gov to request an application.
Complete and sign the application.
Complete the Children's Medical Services clinical screening process or obtain physician attestation of a qualifying medical condition.
For each requested service, have the registered provider submit a plan of care and supporting medical documentation for prior authorization.
Submit household income documentation and proof of insurance or a Medicaid or KidCare denial.
Wait for authorization and for the provider to complete the letter-of-agreement process before services are billed to the program.

Ways to apply or ask

Email · Open form or page · CMSClinicalEligibilityUnit@FLHealth.gov — A parent or caregiver can email the Clinical Eligibility Unit to request an application; providers also use this address for encrypted plan-of-care submissions.
Online Portal · Open form or page
Phone · Open form or page · 855-901-5390 — A parent or caregiver can call Children's Medical Services to get started and request an application.

Documents to prepare

Completed and signed Safety Net application
Copy of household income
Proof of insurance or a denial from Medicaid or KidCare
Provider plan of care for each requested service
Supporting medical documentation for each prior-authorization request

After authorization, Children's Medical Services issues the provider a letter of agreement that the provider must sign and return.
All services require prior authorization, and authorization does not guarantee payment.
Registered providers submit claims for authorized services in a HIPAA-compliant format.

Availability and timing

Program	Active
Applications	Not Published
Funding or space	Fund Dependent
Application window	Rolling
Last checked	Aug 24, 2026

Families are served first come, first served until program funds have been allocated.
The current official page describes how families can request an application.
The page does not publish how much funding remains.
The program serves families first come, first served until funds have been allocated; no fixed application dates are published.
No application or prior-authorization processing time is published.

Limitations and things to confirm

All services require prior authorization, and authorization does not guarantee payment.
Families are served first come, first served until funds are allocated.
The annual per-child payment limit and sliding-fee scale are not published.
The child must be a Florida resident and age 21 or younger.
The child must be ineligible for Medicaid or KidCare, or must be unable to access services.
The child must meet the program's financial and clinical eligibility rules.
The program covers no more than two qualifying health conditions.

What annual per-child limit, sliding fees, service detail, review time, and current remaining funds apply?

Official sources

Program details were last verified Aug 24, 2026. Availability can change, so check the official program before applying.

CMS Clinical Eligibility Attestation, Form DH8001-CMS (05/2016) · checked Aug 24, 2026
CMS Clinical Eligibility Attestation, Form DH8001-CMS (05/2016) · checked Aug 23, 2026
Safety Net Program - Florida Department of Health · checked Aug 24, 2026
Safety Net Program - Florida Department of Health · checked Aug 23, 2026