Benefits · Long Term Care
How to apply for Florida Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care (SMMC LTC)
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), with eligibility and level-of-care assessed by DCF and DOEA's CARES program
Who it's for
Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care (SMMC LTC) is Florida's Medicaid program for people who need nursing-home-level care — whether they receive that care in a nursing facility, an assisted living facility, or in their own home. SMMC LTC pays for nursing facility care, assisted living, adult day health care, home health aide and personal care visits, homemaker and respite services, home-delivered meals, adult companion services, home accessibility modifications, medical equipment, and case management — all coordinated by a managed-care plan you choose at enrollment. To qualify, you must be age 65 or older (or 18+ with a disability), be financially eligible under Florida Medicaid's institutional-care income and asset rules (for 2026 that is monthly income at or below $2,901 — 300% of the SSI federal benefit rate — and countable assets at or below $2,000 for an individual, with special spousal-impoverishment protections for married couples), and be determined by DOEA's CARES (Comprehensive Assessment and Review for Long-Term Care Services) program to require nursing-facility level of care. A waitlist is the norm: CARES screens and prioritizes applicants for available enrollment slots through a wait-list release process. Apply through the Elder Helpline at 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337) or the DCF ACCESS portal — eligibility is determined by DCF while CARES handles the medical level-of-care determination.
SMMC LTC requires a nursing-facility level-of-care determination by DOEA's CARES program — this scan cannot make that determination from intake answers alone. SMMC LTC also operates a managed waitlist: meeting income, asset, and level-of-care requirements does not guarantee immediate enrollment. For married couples, spousal-impoverishment rules let the community spouse keep substantially more income and assets than the rule above shows; the modeled $157,920 couple resource cap is the 2026 maximum Community Spouse Resource Allowance. Confirm your CARES level-of-care status and current waitlist position with the Elder Helpline at 1-800-96-ELDER and your DCF eligibility specialist.
What you'll need
- DCF ACCESS Florida Medicaid application
- DOEA CARES Form 701B functional assessment (level-of-care determination)
- Proof of identity and Social Security number
- Proof of all monthly income (Social Security award letter, pension statements)
- Bank statements and documentation of countable resources for both spouses if married
- Medical records or physician statement supporting nursing-facility level of care
- Proof of Florida residency and citizenship or qualified immigration status
Where to apply
Apply online: official application
By phone: 1-800-963-5337
Renewals
annual financial recertification plus periodic CARES reassessment of level of care
Not sure if you qualify? Run a free check first.
Find my benefitsNot legal or financial advice. The agency makes the final eligibility decision.