Straight answer
Does Medicaid pay for assisted living in Florida?
Yes, but only through Florida's Medicaid long-term care program, and it usually does not pay for room and board. Regular Medicaid alone does not pay for assisted living.
Regular Medicaid is not the same thing
- Regular Medicaid pays for doctors and the hospital.
- Assisted living care is paid by a separate program, the Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care program, through a health plan.
- Having Medicaid does not mean you already have long-term care benefits.
What it pays and what it doesn't
- The plan pays for the care the home gives.
- Room and board is usually paid from the person's own income, like Social Security. Some families help with the difference.
- Each home decides which plans it accepts. Not every home takes every plan.
How to start
- The first step is a phone screening with the Aging and Disability Resource Center. In Miami-Dade that is the Alliance for Aging.
- Florida's Elder Helpline: 1-800-963-5337 (1-800-96-ELDER).
- The screening gives a priority score. The waiting list goes by need, not by who called first.
- To change Medicaid plans, call Choice Counseling at 1-877-711-3662.
How we help
- We help you figure out whether you have regular Medicaid or long-term care benefits.
- We show you member homes that told us they work with your plan, and the month they told us.
- No home pays us anything for a family on Medicaid, and we help you the same way, at no cost to your family.
Checked October 25, 2026 against the State of Florida's own pages. Rules and phone numbers can change, so confirm with the agency before you decide. Miami Placement does not give legal advice.