The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) has amended its contract with Sunshine State Plan, Inc. for its Statewide Medical Managed Care Program. The amendment, dated Oct. 10, has removed Hope Florida, First Lady Casey DeSantis’ initiative, from the $51 billion contract. Read CN-680000-FP116-A2
BACKGROUND: Sunshine State Plan, Inc., commonly known as Sunshine State Health Plan or Sunshine Health, is a Florida-based health insurance company that offers a range of Medicaid, Medicare, and Health Insurance Marketplace plans across the state. The company operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation. Centene is the company that was directed to send $10 million of Medicaid settlement to the Hope Florida Foundation. Most of those funds ended up with a political committee that fought the marijuana referendum last year.
The Oct. 10 amendment completely deleted Attachment II, which prioritized Hope Florida for managed care services. The original contracrt stated: “The Agency shall leverage the SMMC program to improve certain non-medical conditions through a closed-loop referral system that ensures the Managed Care Plan is accountable and incentivized to create Hope Florida.”
Attachment II also described Hope Florida:
In 2021, the Department of Children and Families launched the Hope Florida initiative to Prosperity that uses Hope Navigators to guide Floridians on an individualized path to
prosperity, economic self-sufficiency, and hope by focusing on community collaboration between the private sector, faith-based community, nonprofits, and government entities to
break down traditional community silos, to maximize resources and uncover opportunities.
It is the Agency’s intention that the Managed Care Plan collaborates with the Hope Florida program to enable eligible enrollees to gain the necessary education, job, and life skills to achieve independence and “graduate” out of Medicaid.
BACKGROUND: Hope Florida is a state-run initiative launched in 2021 by First Lady Casey DeSantis, designed to guide Floridians toward economic self-sufficiency and prosperity through a personalized, community-driven approach. The program centers on “Hope Navigators” who work with individuals and families to identify personal barriers, develop strategic plans for success, and connect participants to a wide range of resources. As of April 2025, it has claimed that more than 120,000 people have been referred for assistance. Hope Florida Foundation is a separate entity that raises funds for Hope Florida.
