Fort Myers Senior AdvisorBy Fort Myers Senior Advisor Care Team · October 19, 2026
Florida's 2026 long-term care limits are $2,982 a month in income and $2,000 in assets for one applicant, with $162,660 protected for a spouse at home. Income above the cap needs a Qualified Income Trust. Home and community services have a waitlist; start with the Elder Helpline at 1-866-413-5337.
What does Florida Medicaid pay for in long-term care?
Florida's Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care program pays a managed care plan to cover nursing home care and home and community-based services: personal care, adult day care, respite, home-delivered meals, and assisted living services in contracted facilities. It does not pay rent and meals in an ALF, which the resident covers from income, sometimes with help from Optional State Supplementation.
What are Florida's 2026 Medicaid long-term care limits?
The Department of Children and Families updates the figures each year. These apply from April 2026.
| DCF figure | Amount | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Income limit, one applicant | $2,982 | Above it, a Qualified Income Trust is needed |
| Asset limit, one applicant | $2,000 | Home, one car and personal items are generally exempt |
| Community spouse resource allowance | $162,660 | Assets the spouse at home may keep |
| Minimum monthly maintenance needs allowance | $2,644 | Income floor for the spouse at home |
| Maximum spousal income allowance | $4,067 | Ceiling with high shelter costs |
| Nursing home personal needs allowance | $160 | Monthly amount the resident keeps |
| Transfer penalty divisor | $10,645 | Used to compute a penalty period |
Source: Florida DCF transmittal I-26-02-0003 (Feb. 24, 2026), Appendix A-7, SSI-Related Medicaid Financial Eligibility Standards, April 2026.
What if a Lee County applicant's income is over the cap?
Florida is an income-cap state. An applicant whose gross income is over $2,982 a month can still qualify by setting up a Qualified Income Trust, often called a Miller trust, and depositing the income above the cap into it every month. The trust money is then paid toward the cost of care.
The trust must be drafted correctly, opened at a bank and funded each month, and a missed month can cost a month of eligibility. Many Lee County families use an elder law attorney for this step.
Is there a waitlist for Medicaid long-term care in Lee County?
For services at home or in assisted living, yes. Applicants are screened by the Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida and placed on a statewide waitlist ranked by priority. People already living in a nursing home who qualify financially are enrolled without waiting.
Call the Elder Helpline at 1-866-413-5337 for the screening as soon as you expect to need help within about a year, and ask to be rescreened after any hospital stay, fall or caregiver crisis, since a higher priority score can move a person up the list.
Can a Lee County resident keep a home and still qualify for Medicaid?
Usually yes. Florida generally treats the applicant's home as exempt up to an equity limit of $752,000 in 2026 if the applicant intends to return home or a spouse or certain dependent relatives live there. The home can, however, be subject to estate recovery after death in some circumstances, so planning matters.
Selling the home while on Medicaid turns it into countable cash, which can end eligibility until it is spent on care or exempt items. Talk to an elder law attorney before listing a parent's house.
What mistakes delay Medicaid applications in Florida?
The most common are missing bank statements, unexplained large withdrawals, gifts to family inside the five-year look-back, a Qualified Income Trust that was opened but not funded in a given month, and applications filed before assets were within the limit. Each one can delay eligibility by weeks or create a penalty period.
Keep a folder of every statement and receipt, and write down the reason for any withdrawal over a few hundred dollars.
Who in Lee County can help with a Medicaid application at no cost?
The Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida's Elder Helpline (1-866-413-5337) handles screening and can explain the process, DCF's ACCESS Florida service centers accept applications, and many Lee County hospitals and nursing homes have staff who help residents apply. Florida's legal aid programs and the Senior Legal Helpline give free advice to eligible older adults on benefits questions.
In what order should a Lee County family take the steps?
First, get the screening and a place on the waitlist if home or ALF services are the goal. Second, gather financial records for the last five years, because DCF reviews transfers made in the 60 months before the application. Third, if a spouse will stay at home, have someone who knows the spousal rules review the assets before anything is moved. Fourth, apply to DCF through ACCESS Florida when assets are within the limits or the spousal allowance. Fifth, once enrolled, use choice counseling at 1-877-711-3662 to pick a plan that contracts with the facility or agency you want.
Hope PACE is a separate route for people 55 and older that does not use the waitlist, and it is worth asking about at the same time.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Florida Medicaid income limit for long-term care in 2026?
$2,982 a month for one applicant, from April 2026.
What is the asset limit?
$2,000 in countable assets for one applicant, with $162,660 protected for a community spouse.
What is a Miller trust?
A Qualified Income Trust that lets an applicant with income above the cap qualify by depositing the excess each month.
How long is Florida's Medicaid look-back?
Five years (60 months) for asset transfers before a long-term care application.
