Important: Pathway Senior Placement Services is a private senior placement service. We are not a government agency, a Medicaid health plan, or a law firm, and we don't decide who is eligible for Medicaid. The official agencies listed below make those decisions. Rules, phone numbers, and processes change, so always confirm details with them.
The short version
- Florida Medicaid can pay for care services in assisted living through the Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care (SMMC LTC) program.
- Medicaid does not pay room and board in an assisted living facility. The resident pays that portion, usually from monthly income.
- Enrollment starts with a phone screening through your local Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC). People are placed on a waitlist and released based on priority, not on how long they have waited.
- Not every assisted living facility works with every Long-Term Care plan, so the choice of community and the choice of plan go together.
Who may qualify for Medicaid Long-Term Care
In general, the program is for Floridians who are 65 or older, or 18 or older with a qualifying disability, who need a nursing facility level of care and who meet Medicaid's financial (income and asset) rules. Medical eligibility is determined by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs' CARES program. Financial eligibility is determined by the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF).
Step by step
- Screening. Call your county's ADRC (numbers below) or the statewide Elder Helpline at 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337). The screening is done by phone with the older adult or a caregiver and takes about an hour. It produces a priority score.
- Waitlist. People with a high enough priority are placed on the waitlist. The state releases people from the list each month based on priority and available enrollment. When someone is released, the ADRC contacts them to start enrollment.
- Financial eligibility. If your loved one isn't already on Medicaid, apply through DCF's ACCESS Florida system and provide the requested documents.
- Medical eligibility. CARES assesses whether your loved one needs a nursing facility level of care.
- Choose a plan. Once approved, your loved one enrolls in a Long-Term Care plan. A plan care manager works with you on the services the plan will authorize, including in an assisted living facility that is in the plan's network.
Help with room and board: Optional State Supplementation
Florida's Optional State Supplementation (OSS) program, run by DCF, provides a limited monthly cash payment to eligible low-income residents of assisted living facilities, adult family-care homes, and mental health residential treatment facilities to help cover their room-and-board cost. Ask DCF about eligibility.
Who to call in each county
- Broward County: Aging & Disability Resource Center of Broward County (Area Agency on Aging of Broward County) — Helpline 954-745-9779
- Palm Beach County: Area Agency on Aging of Palm Beach/Treasure Coast — Elder Helpline 561-214-8600
- Miami-Dade County: Alliance for Aging, Inc. (ADRC for Miami-Dade and Monroe) — Helpline 305-670-HELP (4357)
- Statewide: Elder Helpline 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337) · DCF ACCESS Florida for Medicaid and OSS applications
How Pathway can help
Families often call us when they're overwhelmed by the steps above. We can:
- Explain the process in plain language, in English or Spanish, and help you prepare questions for the ADRC, DCF, and the plan
- Talk through what your loved one can realistically afford for room and board based on their income
- Help you look for assisted living communities that fit your loved one's needs and that work with Medicaid Long-Term Care plans
- Go on tours with you when we can, and stay in touch through the move
For questions about income, assets, or legal planning — for example, whether a Qualified Income Trust is needed — please speak with a qualified elder law attorney or the agencies above.
Information on this page was last reviewed in October 2026 and is general information, not legal or financial advice.