Florida Medicaid Long-Term Care Services

The short answer: Florida Medicaid helps pay for long-term care in two main ways: the Institutional Care Program for nursing home residents, and the Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care (SMMC LTC) program for care at home, in the community or in assisted living. To qualify you generally need a nursing home level of care, monthly income of no more than $2,982 in 2026 (or a Qualified Income Trust), and no more than $2,000 in countable assets. The home and community program has a waitlist, so the most important step is to call the Elder Helpline at 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337) and ask for a screening now.

Two Ways Medicaid Pays for Long-Term Care in Florida

Nursing home care: the Institutional Care Program (ICP)

ICP helps people who live in a nursing facility pay for their care and other medical services. The Department of Elder Affairs' CARES team must find that nursing facility care is needed, and the Department of Children and Families (DCF) checks income, assets and any transfers of assets. (Source: DCF SSI-Related Medicaid Fact Sheet.)

Care at home, in the community or in assisted living: SMMC LTC

The long-term care program serves people 18 and older who need long-term services and support. It is not an entitlement like regular Medicaid: space is limited, and it does not cover doctor visits or hospital stays, which come from your regular Medicaid or Medicare. Services are delivered through managed care plans. (Source: Agency for Health Care Administration.) Services include:

• Personal care, homemaker help and adult companion care
• Respite care and caregiver training for family caregivers
• Adult day health care
• Assisted living services and medication administration
• Attendant, intermittent and skilled nursing
• Home-delivered meals and nutrition assessment
• Home accessibility changes, medical equipment and a personal emergency response system
• Physical, occupational, speech and respiratory therapy
• Care coordination, transportation to LTC services, hospice and nursing facility care

Another option for people 55 and older who need a nursing home level of care is PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly), where one provider covers all Medicare and Medicaid services. It is available only where a PACE organization operates. (Source: DCF.)

Who Qualifies

Medical need

The Department of Elder Affairs' Comprehensive Assessment and Review for Long-Term Care Services (CARES) program must find that you need a nursing home level of care. A nurse or assessor usually visits you at home at no cost, and a doctor or nurse reviews the result. (Source: AHCA.)

Income (2026)

Gross monthly income, before deductions such as Medicare premiums, may not be more than 300 percent of the SSI federal benefit rate. The 2026 rate is $994, so the limit is $2,982 a month. (Sources: DCF; CMS 2026 standards.)

Over the limit? Use a Qualified Income Trust. A QIT is a special bank account with a written trust agreement. Each month you deposit enough income to bring what is left under the limit. The agreement must be irrevocable, hold only your income, and pay any balance at your death to the state, up to what Medicaid paid. A lawyer can help but is not required. Deposits must be made every month you need Medicaid; a missed month means no coverage that month. (Source: DCF.)

Assets (2026)

• $2,000 in countable assets for a single applicant. (Source: CMS.)
• Your home is generally not counted if your equity is under $752,000 in 2026. (Source: CMS.)
• Gifts and transfers: DCF reviews assets given away or sold for less than they were worth in the 60 months before you apply, and such transfers can delay eligibility. (Source: DCF.) Talk to an elder law attorney before moving money.

Protections for a spouse who stays at home

When one spouse needs long-term care and the other stays at home, the at-home spouse is protected from losing everything. In 2026:

• The at-home spouse may keep a share of the couple's countable assets, from $32,532 up to $162,660.
• The at-home spouse may receive part of the other spouse's income, up to a monthly maximum of $4,066.50, depending on their own income and housing costs.

(Sources: CMS 2026 spousal impoverishment standards; DCF.)

Patient responsibility

Once approved, you may owe a monthly patient responsibility, your share of the cost, figured from your income minus a personal needs allowance and other deductions. In the long-term care program, the personal needs allowance is $160 a month in a nursing facility, the facility's basic room and board rate plus 20 percent of the poverty level in assisted living, and 300 percent of the SSI rate at home. (Source: DCF.)

How to Apply, Step by Step

1. Get screened. Call your local Aging and Disability Resource Center, or the Elder Helpline at 1-800-963-5337. The phone screening takes about 45 minutes to an hour and gives you a priority score. Find your ADRC on your county page. (Source: AHCA.)
2. Wait for release from the waitlist. People with a high priority rank are placed on the waitlist; people with a low rank are not, and are given information on other community help. You are released as space opens, by priority. (Source: AHCA.)
3. Ask to be rescreened if things change. You can ask the ADRC to screen you again after a significant change, such as a decline in health after an illness or fall, a move, the loss of a spouse or caregiver, or damage to your home. (Source: AHCA.)
4. Complete the CARES assessment when you are released, to confirm the level of care.
5. Apply to DCF for Medicaid through MyACCESS. DCF decides financial eligibility and mails you the result.
6. Choose a plan. If approved, AHCA sends a welcome packet explaining how to pick a long-term care plan. (Source: AHCA.)

Who can skip the waitlist? Among others, current Medicaid recipients who have lived in a Florida nursing facility for at least 60 days in a row and want to move back to the community, and people referred by DCF's Adult Protective Services as high risk who are temporarily placed in an assisted living facility. (Source: AHCA.)

Getting Paid to Care for a Family Member

Once enrolled in the long-term care program, many people can use the Participant Direction Option to hire and direct their own caregivers, including family members, friends or neighbors, for services like personal care and homemaker help. (Source: AHCA.) See our guide to in-home care for seniors in Florida for other ways to pay for care at home, and our family caregiver support guide for respite and other help for caregivers.

Choosing a Plan, and PACE

Once you are approved, you get your long-term care through a private health plan. Our guide to Florida Medicaid managed care lists the plans in each region and explains when you can switch. In some counties, PACE is an all-in-one alternative for people 55 and older.

Where to Get Help

• Elder Helpline: 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337) for screening and local services.
• Florida Senior Legal Helpline: 1-888-895-7873 for free legal advice for people 60 and older, including questions about transfers and trusts.
• Plan ahead: Florida's Long-Term Care Partnership policies and other ways to pay are covered in our in-home care guide. For food help while you wait, see Florida SNAP for seniors.

Questions About Florida Medicaid Long-Term Care

Disclaimer: This guide is general information, not legal advice. Medicaid rules are complex and the dollar figures change each year. DCF and AHCA decide eligibility. For decisions about assets, transfers or trusts, talk to an elder law attorney.