AmeriChoice, a UnitedHealth Group company, has been awarded a geographic expansion of its service area for the Florida Healthy Kids program. With the new approval, garnered in a competitive bidding process, the company will offer this product line in 15 Florida counties, with projected membership of approximately 30,000 children this year. The company had been serving approximately 13,000 children in four counties. The new service area comprises Bradford, Charlotte, Columbia, Desoto, Flagler, Highlands, Indian River, Marion, Miami-Dade, Okeechobee, Putnam, Sarasota, St. John's, Suwannee, and Volusia counties.

Healthy Kids is a joint federal-state initiative under the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). It is designed to provide access to comprehensive health care services for children who are not eligible for Medicaid and who do not have health insurance coverage from their parents.

Within Florida, AmeriChoice is licensed as UnitedHealthcare of Florida, Inc., and markets its SCHIP offerings as UnitedHealthcare Healthy Kids. AmeriChoice also serves approximately 115,000 beneficiaries of Florida's Medicaid managed care program in 21 counties under the United Healthcare of Florida brand. www.americhoice.com.