Florida nursing home care costs about $10,300 a month. Florida’s Medicaid rules protect more than most families are told.

A stroke, a fall, a diagnosis — and suddenly a hospital social worker is asking where Mom will go next and how it will be paid for. This guide explains, in plain English, how Florida Medicaid pays for nursing home and long-term care, what its rules let a family keep, and what to do first. (Monthly cost: CareScout 2025 median, semi-private room.^[13])

Watch: What Florida Law Lets Your Family Keep · about 2 minutes, plain English. Frank is our AI guide.

Reviewed September 2026 against official sources. Figures are for 2026 unless noted.

See your family’s options See the 2026 numbers

Medicare does not pay for long-term nursing home care — most families learn this in the worst week of their lives. See Medicare.gov.

Medicaid Answers is a nonprofit education program, not a government agency. We are not part of the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) or any government office. Only DCF can decide eligibility, and applying is free: you can apply yourself at MyACCESS or by calling 1-866-762-2237.

How Florida pays for long-term care

Medicare doesn’t cover long-term custodial care if that’s the only care someone needs.^[14] In Florida, Medicaid is the program that does, through two parts:

The Institutional Care Program (ICP) pays for nursing home care. The Department of Elder Affairs’ CARES program decides whether the person medically needs that level of care.^[6]
The Statewide Medicaid Managed Care (SMMC) Long-Term Care program delivers long-term care through health plans, including care at home and in assisted living.^[7] Home and community care has a wait list: a phone screening produces a priority score that sets your place on it. Nursing home residents who have been there at least 60 days and want to move home can skip the list.^[8]

Who decides: DCF decides financial eligibility, meaning income and assets.^[9] CARES decides medical eligibility. A CARES nurse or assessor does the assessment at no cost to the family.^[6]

What care costs in Florida

Most families pay privately until Medicaid starts, so these numbers are what’s at stake each month.

Florida long-term care costs
Florida, 2025 median	Per month
Nursing home, semi-private room	$10,342 (about $124,100 a year)
Nursing home, private room	$12,167
Assisted living	$5,610
In-home care, 44 hours a week	$6,101

Source: CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025.^[13] Florida’s own figure for the average private-pay nursing home cost, the one it uses to calculate Medicaid transfer penalties, is $10,645 a month.^[1]

Why timing matters

Florida doesn’t pay for months before the month you apply. For most adults 21 and older, coverage can begin no earlier than the first day of the month the application is received, so every month of delay can be a month paid from savings.^[10]
A semi-private nursing home room in Florida costs a median of about $10,342 a month.^[13]
Families who don’t know the rules often sell investments in a down market or drain retirement accounts at the worst possible time, not because they had to, but because nobody explained the options. Once money is spent, the protections that could have applied to it are gone.
The longer a family waits, the fewer choices the law leaves. Gifts made now are counted for the next five years.^[15]

Florida’s 2026 Medicaid numbers at a glance

These are the figures DCF uses in 2026. Most change every January, and the spouse’s income allowance changes every July.

Florida Medicaid long-term care figures
	2026 figure
Asset limit (single applicant)	$2,000^[1]
Income limit (gross, before deductions)	$2,982 a month. Above it, a Qualified Income Trust is required.^[1]^[2]
Personal needs allowance (nursing home)	$160 a month^[1]
Assets the spouse at home can keep	Up to $162,660^[1]
Spouse at home’s monthly income allowance	At least $2,705, up to $4,067 (from July 1, 2026)^[1]
Home equity limit	$752,000^[1]
Transfer-penalty divisor	$10,645 a month (latest published figure)^[1]
Look-back period for gifts and transfers	60 months (5 years)^[15]
Back-dated (retroactive) coverage	None for the months before you apply, for adults 21 and older who aren’t pregnant (pregnant women and children under 21 can still get up to three months). Eligible coverage can begin on the first day of the month you apply.^[10]^[3]
How long DCF takes	DCF processes a complete application by the 30th day. CARES gives its level-of-care decision within 12 days of the request.^[5]

Where Florida is different. Florida is an income-cap state, so income over $2,982 is handled with a Qualified Income Trust, not a spend-down.^[2] Florida doesn’t back-date coverage for most adults, so the month you apply matters.^[10] And the spouse’s income allowance changes every July 1, not only in January.^[1]

What Florida’s rules let a family keep

Medicaid’s long-term care program isn’t only for the poorest families. Sooner or later, nearly every family is touched by it, directly or through a parent. Florida’s rules name specific things a family is allowed to keep. These aren’t loopholes; they’re written into the rules.

The home

The home isn’t counted while it’s the principal residence, up to $752,000 in equity, and it stays protected while a spouse or dependent relative lives there.^[4]^[1]

A protected share for the spouse

Florida lets the spouse at home keep up to $162,660 in assets, plus a monthly income allowance of at least $2,705, so the husband or wife at home isn’t left with nothing.^[1]

Burial and funeral funds

Up to $2,500 each for the applicant and spouse can be set aside for burial, and an irrevocable prepaid funeral contract isn’t counted.^[4]

One car

Under the SSI rules Florida uses for nursing home Medicaid, one car used for transportation isn’t counted, whatever it’s worth.^[12] Countable assets are things like bank accounts, investments and a second home.

An example, using Florida’s 2026 numbers. Walter, 82, is moving from the hospital to a nursing home in Sarasota. He and his wife Joan own their home and have savings. The home isn’t counted, because Joan lives there.^[4] Joan’s protected share of the savings can be as much as $162,660, and Walter can keep $2,000; anything above those amounts is what the rules expect to go toward care, or be spent in ways the rules allow, before Walter qualifies.^[1] Walter’s Social Security and pension come to $3,150 a month, which is over $2,982, so he needs a Qualified Income Trust.^[2] Once he qualifies, he keeps $160 a month for personal needs, and if Joan’s own income is under $2,705 a month, part of his income can go to her.^[1] (The names and amounts are made up to show how the rules fit together. Every family’s numbers are different.)

If income is over the limit

Florida is an “income cap” state. If the monthly income of the person who needs care is over $2,982 before any deductions, such as Medicare premiums, they aren’t automatically disqualified.^[1] DCF’s rule is simple: “You need a QIT if your income before any deductions… is over the limit.”^[2]

A Qualified Income Trust (QIT, sometimes called a Miller trust) is a special trust that holds the income over the limit. When it’s set up correctly and funded, it can address the income limit; the other eligibility rules still apply. Money left in the trust at death goes to the State, up to what Medicaid paid.^[2] Because coverage can’t start before the month you apply, it helps to get the trust in place quickly.

Gifts, transfers and the 5-year lookback

Medicaid looks back five years at gifts and transfers made for less than their value.^[15] If a gift is found, Florida divides its value by $10,645 to get the number of months Medicaid won’t pay for long-term care.^[1] For example, a $50,000 gift works out to about 4.7 months.

Don’t panic. Transfers to a spouse are generally exempt, and federal law says no penalty applies if all of the transferred assets are returned.^[15] How these rules apply depends on the details, and the order in which things are done matters, so get the facts before moving any money.

Estate recovery in Florida

After a Medicaid recipient dies, Florida can seek repayment from the estate for Medicaid paid after age 55. It won’t enforce that claim if the person is survived by a spouse, a child under 21, or a blind or disabled child, and it can’t be enforced against property that’s exempt from creditors’ claims.^[11]

First steps for your situation

Where your family is today changes what to do first.

Already in a nursing home, or leaving the hospital

Ask the hospital or nursing home social worker to start the Medicaid process and request a CARES assessment.
Apply with DCF right away. For most adults, Florida won’t pay for months before the month you apply.^[10]
Check the monthly income against $2,982. If it’s higher, plan for a Qualified Income Trust.
List bank accounts, investments and property, and any gifts in the last five years.
Don’t move, spend down or give away money until you understand the rules. Some moves hurt eligibility.

Planning ahead

Learn what counts and what doesn’t: the home, a spouse’s share, burial funds.
Remember the five-year look-back before making any gifts.^[15]
Know what the spouse at home can keep in Florida: up to $162,660 in assets.
Review your existing estate plan. A good estate plan isn’t always a Medicaid plan, and some standard moves can hurt eligibility.
Start early. The longer a family waits, the fewer choices the law leaves.

How our free case review works

Short 60-second survey

A few questions about the care situation — a parent, a spouse, or yourself — and the general asset picture.

Free 30-minute case review

A real conversation about your family’s situation and an honest read on what Florida’s rules allow in your family’s case.

Your family’s next steps

A clear, step-by-step look at how the rules apply to your family, so you know what to ask and what to do next.

How to apply in Florida

Apply with DCF online at MyACCESS or by calling 1-866-762-2237.^[9]
Get the CARES assessment for nursing home care. A CARES nurse or assessor evaluates medical need at no cost.^[6]
For care at home or in assisted living, call the Elder Helpline at 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337) for the SMMC Long-Term Care screening and wait list.^[8]
Send the documents DCF asks for, such as income statements and recent bank statements. DCF processes a complete application by the 30th day.^[5]
If income is over $2,982, set up the Qualified Income Trust before or during the application.

Use only the official state website. Look-alike sites with similar names exist; the real application site ends in myflfamilies.com.

Free help in Florida

These programs are free and independent of Medicaid Answers.

Elder Helpline / Aging and Disability Resource Centers

Free local help, including the SMMC Long-Term Care screening. · 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337)

CARES (Department of Elder Affairs)

The free medical assessment for nursing home Medicaid.

DCF customer call center

Questions about a Medicaid application you’ve filed. · (850) 300-4323

State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP)

Free, unbiased counseling on Medicare and Medicaid. · 1-877-839-2675

Eldercare Locator

Finds your local Area Agency on Aging and other services. · 1-800-677-1116

About our free case review

A free 30-minute phone or video conversation with the Medicaid Answers team for families in Florida whose savings, home or other assets make Florida Medicaid eligibility complicated — the situations where the rules are hardest to navigate alone. We listen to your family’s situation, explain how Florida Medicaid’s long-term care rules apply to it, and point you to next steps and official resources. It’s free, and what you do afterward is entirely your choice.

If your family needs hands-on help, we’ll explain your options and point you to the right kind of help, such as Florida’s free counseling programs, legal aid, an elder law attorney or a Medicaid planner.

If the person needing care has little or no savings, you can usually apply directly with DCF; the steps under “How to apply” walk you through it.
It is educational, not legal or financial advice.
It doesn’t replace DCF, which makes every eligibility decision.

If a hospital discharge or nursing home admission is happening now, reach out this week. Applications and assessments take time, and starting early keeps more options open.

Questions families ask

Can Florida Medicaid pay for care at home or in assisted living?

Yes, through the SMMC Long-Term Care program, but there’s a wait list. The first step is a phone screening with your local Aging and Disability Resource Center; call the Elder Helpline at 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337). The screening takes about 45 minutes to an hour and gives a priority score and rank. People with a low priority rank aren’t placed on the wait list; people with a high rank are. Some current Medicaid members skip the screening and the wait list, such as someone who has lived in a Florida nursing home for at least 60 days in a row and wants to move back into the community.^[8]

What if we already gave money, a car or other assets to family?

Florida looks back five years. A gift can create a penalty: its value divided by $10,645 gives the number of months Medicaid won’t pay for long-term care. But transfers to a spouse are generally exempt, and no penalty applies if all of the transferred assets are returned.^[1]^[15] Get the facts before you do anything else.

What if the monthly income is over Florida’s limit?

Florida is an income cap state. If gross income, before deductions such as taxes or Medicare premiums, is over $2,982 a month, DCF requires a Qualified Income Trust. Income over the limit doesn’t disqualify anyone by itself; the trust is how Florida handles it, and every other eligibility rule still applies.^[2]^[1]

How does a Qualified Income Trust work month to month?

DCF says the trust agreement must be irrevocable, hold income only (no other assets) and name the State to receive what’s left at death, up to what Medicaid paid. DCF’s legal office reviews each agreement; professional help is allowed but not required. Once the trust account is open, income has to be deposited into it every month you need Medicaid, in the month it’s received; you can’t deposit for a past or future month. If a month’s deposit is missed or too small, Medicaid won’t pay for long-term care that month, so DCF suggests depositing a little more than the minimum.^[2]

Will Florida take the house?

The home isn’t counted for eligibility while it’s the principal residence, up to $752,000 in equity.^[4]^[1] After death, Florida can file a claim against the estate for Medicaid paid after age 55, but not while a spouse, a child under 21, or a blind or disabled child survives. Florida’s law also says the claim can’t be enforced against exempt property, forced sales are limited to property that isn’t protected homestead, and real property is never transferred to the State.^[11]

Can Medicaid pay for the months before we applied?

For most adults in Florida, no. Coverage for adults 21 and older who aren’t pregnant can begin no earlier than the first day of the month the application is received.^[10] That’s why it pays to apply in the month care starts, even while papers are still being gathered. DCF processes a complete application by the 30th day, and CARES gives its decision on medical need within 12 days of the request.^[5]

Sources

Figures and rules on this page come from these sources. Reviewed September 2026.

Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF), ESS Program Policy Manual, Appendix A-9, “SSI-Related Medicaid Coverage Groups Financial Eligibility Standards,” July 2026. ffic.myflfamilies.com/manual/essfiles/30451.pdf
Florida DCF, Qualified Income Trust (QIT) information sheet. www.myflfamilies.com/documents/27551.pdf
Florida DCF, ESS Program Policy Manual, Chapter 2000 (coverage groups and dates of eligibility). ffic.myflfamilies.com/manual/2000.pdf
Florida DCF, ESS Program Policy Manual, Chapter 1600 (assets: home, burial funds, prepaid funerals). ffic.myflfamilies.com/manual/1630.pdf
Florida DCF, ESS Program Policy Manual, Chapter 600 (application processing). ffic.myflfamilies.com/manual/600.pdf
Florida Department of Elder Affairs, CARES program (elderaffairs.org).
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care program. ahca.myflorida.com/medicaid/statewide-medicaid-managed-care/long-term-care-program.html
AHCA, SMMC Long-Term Care program screening and wait list. ahca.myflorida.com/medicaid/statewide-medicaid-managed-care/long-term-care-program/statewide-medicaid-managed-care-long-term-care-program-screening.html
AHCA, “Become eligible for Medicaid”. ahca.myflorida.com/medicaid/statewide-medicaid-managed-care/long-term-care-program/become-eligible-for-medicaid.html
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, Medicaid retroactive eligibility. ahca.myflorida.com/medicaid/medicaid-policy-quality-and-operations/medicaid-policy-and-quality/medicaid-policy/program-policy/eligibility-for-medicaid-services/medicaid-retroactive-eligibility.html
Florida Statutes § 409.9101 (2026), Medicaid estate recovery. www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0409/Sections/0409.9101.html
20 C.F.R. § 416.1218, exclusion of one automobile (SSI rules used for Florida’s SSI-related Medicaid). www.ecfr.gov/current/title-20/chapter-III/part-416/subpart-L/section-416.1218
CareScout, Cost of Care Survey 2025, state median cost tables (data collected July–November 2025, published March 2026). assets.carescout.com/x/5c90319b6a/298701.pdf
Medicare.gov, “Nursing home care”. www.medicare.gov/coverage/nursing-home-care
42 U.S.C. § 1396p (transfers of assets, the 60-month look-back and exempt transfers). www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/1396p