Medicaid – The Requirements for Different Programs in Florida

For those who are 65 and older, the State of Florida provides a number of different Medicaid programs for long-term care. These different long-term care programs have different eligibility requirements. These eligibility requirements focus on income and assets, and the specific requirements of each program depend on a person’s marital status. Furthermore, if a person is married, things then depend on whether one or both spouses are applying for assistance.

In this post, we will go over the eligibility requirements for 3 separate programs: institutional / nursing home based Medicaid, home and community based services, and regular Medicaid.

Eligibility Requirements for Institutional / Nursing Home Medicaid

If a senior citizen in Florida wants to acquire institutional or nursing home care through Medicaid, they cannot have a monthly income in excess of $2,382 per month in they are single, or if they are married but are the sole person applying for this type of care. If they are single, they also have an asset limit of $2,000. For a married couple, the income limit is doubled to $4,764 per month (in this situation, each spouse has a limit of $2,382). If both spouses apply, the asset limit is $3,000.

Eligibility Requirements for Home / Community Based Medicaid Services

A senior in Florida State who applies for home and community based Medicaid services as a single person also faces an income limit of $2,382 per month and an asset limit of $2,000. A married couple jointly applying also faces an income limit of $4,764 per month, with each individual spouse facing limits of $2,382; this also mirrors the requirements for institutional and nursing home care. Married couples applying jointly also face an asset limit of $3,000. As you can see, the requirements for home and community based services are identical to those for institutional care.

Eligibility Requirements for Regular Medicaid

Applicants for regular Medicaid services face the following requirements: singles have limits of $948 per month and $5,000 in assets; married applying jointly has limits of $1,281 per month and $6,000 in assets, and married with one spouse applying has limits of $1,281 per month and $6,000 in assets.

Definitions of Income & Assets

The terms “income” and “assets” have precise definitions under these Medicaid eligibility requirements. Income is defined as funds deriving from practically any source. This means that things such as Social Security income, stock dividends, wages, alimony payments, pension income, and most other types of income will be counted. Importantly, income from COVID-19 stimulus checks isn’t counted.

The term “assets” is defined a bit more generously for applicants. Many things are counted in an applicant’s asset calculation, but many things are also not counted. Cash, stocks, funds from checking and savings accounts, bonds, and real estate other than one’s personal residence are counted toward assets. Other things, such as personal property, automobiles, one’s primary residence, and so forth, are not counted toward assets.

Contact the Denise Jomarron Legal Group for More Information

As you can see, this topic can get a bit tricky in the details, and there is plenty more to know. Contact the Denise Jomarron Legal Groupat (305) 402-4494 for more information today.

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