Who this may help: Adults and families comparing how ongoing support might be arranged and paid for.
Official information checked Nov 1, 2026. Program staff decide eligibility and access; this guide does not assess care needs.
Separate ongoing support from skilled treatment
Paying for daily support is different from paying for a period of skilled treatment. Medicare does not pay for most non-medical long-term care; its skilled-service rules are separate. Ask your insurer or plan about the particular service, provider and your costs before making arrangements.
Start with an Aging and Disability Resource Center for local options and program access. The Elder Helpline, 1-800-963-5337, can help identify the appropriate route. An information referral is not a funding decision.
Medicaid long-term care has several steps
Florida’s SMMC Long-Term Care program serves qualifying older people and adults eligible through disability, subject to financial and level-of-care requirements. Ask the ADRC about screening and the waitlist process. CARES determines medical eligibility; financial eligibility is handled through DCF or the Social Security Administration.
Assessment, financial approval, plan enrollment and authorization of a service are distinct steps. Do not treat a listed provider as evidence that a service will be funded. SHINE offers free, unbiased, confidential insurance counseling and can help clarify Medicare, Medicaid and insurance questions.
Compare CCE, HCE and PACE
Community Care for the Elderly provides community-based support for qualifying people aged 60 or older with assessed functional impairment. Home Care for the Elderly has a different family-type private-home arrangement, an approved live-in adult caregiver and additional financial and risk criteria. Ask the ADRC about local access and availability.
PACE coordinates multiple kinds of care for eligible people aged 55 or older within a designated service area who meet its level-of-care and safe-community-living requirements. Contact the operator for its current area and enrollment process; age alone does not establish eligibility.
Use the right veterans’ route
VA home and community services, VA pension-related benefits and Florida state veterans’ homes are different routes. Ask VA or an accredited benefits representative which process applies. State-home admission and a benefit award are separate decisions.
- Which assessment or application comes first, and who helps with it?
- Is there a waitlist, contribution or cost not covered?
- Can I receive the service at my address, and which providers are currently authorized?
- Who can explain a decision or a change in circumstances?