How to Get on a Florida Medicaid HCBS Waiver

Florida's home and community-based services (HCBS) landscape is the most fragmented in the nation. Most states run one or two waivers, Florida runs three primary engines, one new managed-care alternative, ten PACE organizations, two niche legacy waivers, and a brand-new family-caregiver pay program under the 1115 demonstration. Each pathway has its own eligibility test, its own waiting list (or lack of one), its own paid-family-caregiver rules, and its own application phone number.

If you have a parent with Alzheimer's, a child with autism, an adult son or daughter with cerebral palsy, a relative on private duty nursing, or a spouse approaching age 55 in fragile health, the right waiver for your family is almost certainly not the same one your neighbor needs. Picking the wrong door costs years.

This guide is the map. We cover every active HCBS pathway in Florida for 2026, the eligibility math behind each one, the waitlists you can expect, the paid-caregiver options inside each program, and a navigation decision tree at the end so you can find your starting point in five minutes.

By Brevy Care Team · Last verified May 3, 2026

Comparison matrix: every Florida HCBS pathway in one table

Read this table sideways. Eligibility is age + diagnosis + functional level, not just income. A 15-year-old with autism cannot use SMMC LTC even if her family income qualifies, wrong age and wrong functional eligibility (ICF/IID, not NF). A 70-year-old with Down syndrome can theoretically be served by either SMMC LTC or iBudget, and the choice has major consequences for residential placement and family caregiver pay.

The rest of this guide walks each pathway in the order you'd consider them by age and diagnosis.

SMMC LTC: Florida's primary HCBS waiver for older adults and physically disabled adults

The Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care (SMMC LTC) program is Florida's largest HCBS pathway by enrollment, approximately 110,197 individuals receiving home and community-based services as of November 2025. It covers frail elderly 65 and over plus disabled adults 18 to 64, delivered through capitated managed-care plans across Florida's nine SMMC regions (A through I).

We cover SMMC LTC at full depth in our Florida Long-Term Care Waiver guide. The short version:

• Functional eligibility: Nursing facility level of care, screened by DOEA/CARES through the Comprehensive Long-Term Care Assessment (formerly the 701B). The screen confirms three or more activities of daily living deficits or two-plus ADLs with cognitive impairment.
• Financial eligibility: Institutional Medicaid rules apply, for 2026, $2,982 per month in income (300% of the SSI federal benefit rate) and $2,000 in countable assets for an individual, excluding the homestead, one car, and prepaid burial.
• Waitlist: Florida runs a "release list," not a strict chronological waitlist. DOEA periodically releases batches based on appropriated slots and applicant priority scores from the screening. See the long-term-care-waiver guide for current release dynamics.
• Paid family caregiver: Yes, through the Participant Direction Option (PDO). Spouses can be paid for approved personal care services, Florida is unusually generous on this point compared with other state HCBS programs.
• What it covers: Personal care, homemaker, attendant care, adult day health, home-delivered meals, assisted living facility services (room and board paid by the member), nursing home transition, hospice, respite, and the full menu of supports that let a frail older adult or physically disabled adult live in the community instead of in a nursing facility.

Bottom line: if you're researching a Florida pathway for a parent over 65 or a physically disabled adult under 65, SMMC LTC is your primary engine and the long-term-care-waiver guide is your starting point.

iBudget Florida: the IDD waiver

iBudget Florida is the state's primary 1915(c) HCBS waiver for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. It's operated by the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) under Florida Statute §393.0662 and Florida Administrative Code Rules 65G-4.0213 through 65G-4.0218. The current CMS waiver number is FL.0867 R03.00 effective April 1, 2024.

Approximately 35,000 individuals are currently served on iBudget. The pre-enrollment list, what most families call the "waitlist", held 16,996 individuals as of January 5, 2026 per the University of South Florida's DD Waitlist Campaign data. The Florida Senate's FY 2025-26 budget summary cites a higher figure of 20,769 as of August 2025; the gap reflects an ongoing reconciliation process under HB 1103 (2025), which now requires APD to post the pre-enrollment list at the county level every five days.

Who qualifies for iBudget

Three eligibility pathways must all be cleared:

1. Diagnostic. The applicant must have one of the qualifying diagnoses under §393.063 F.S., intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, Down syndrome, Phelan-McDermid syndrome, or Prader-Willi syndrome, that manifested before age 18 and constitutes a substantial handicap. APD adjudicates this prong.
2. Functional. The applicant must meet the ICF/IID (Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities) level of care, determined by APD review. This is not the same as nursing facility level of care used for SMMC LTC.
3. Financial. Institutional Medicaid rules apply, for 2026, $2,982 per month income (300% of SSI FBR) and $2,000 in countable assets for an individual. DCF ACCESS Florida adjudicates the financial prong.

Important: iBudget is slot-limited and not an entitlement. APD must determine sufficient funding before offering a slot. Even if all three eligibility prongs are met, an applicant joins the pre-enrollment list and waits, typically 10-plus years for non-crisis categories.

The seven waitlist categories

Under §393.065(5), APD sorts the pre-enrollment list into seven categories from highest to lowest priority:

Within Categories 3 through 7, the order is date of eligibility determination, first determined, first served. A family who applies the day their child receives an autism diagnosis at age 4 will likely move through Category 7 to Category 6 around age 21, then wait for funding to release a Category 6 slot. Real-world timelines can stretch a decade or more.

If your circumstances change, a caregiver's health worsens, a young adult is about to age out of school services, a sibling-caregiver receives a serious diagnosis, request a category review immediately. APD's iBudget customer line is 1-866-273-2273.

How the iBudget allocation works

Once a slot is offered, APD does not simply hand out a flat amount. The allocation methodology under FAC 65G-4.0214 is a statistically validated formula combining age, living setting, and the applicant's Questionnaire for Situational Information (QSI) factor scores. The QSI is a mandatory standardized assessment capturing behavioral, functional, and physical needs along with life circumstances.

Average annual allocation in 2026 is approximately $58,000 per client. From that allocation, the support coordinator and family build a cost plan, a written plan that distributes the budget across allowable services.

If the algorithm allocation is genuinely insufficient, for example, a client with high behavioral needs requiring intensive residential habilitation, the family can request Significant Additional Needs (SAN) supplemental funding under FAC 65G-4.0218.

What iBudget covers

The iBudget service array is comprehensive and uniquely IDD-focused. Covered services include:

• Adult day training (Life Skills Development Level 3)
• Behavior analysis services and behavior assistant services
• Companion services
• Consumable medical supplies
• Dental services (waiver-funded supplemental, on top of the PDHP plan)
• Dietitian services
• Durable medical equipment and specialized medical equipment
• Environmental accessibility adaptations (home modifications)
• In-home support services (IHSS)
• Life Skills Development Levels 1 through 3
• Live-in support and live-in residential habilitation
• Occupational therapy
• Personal emergency response systems
• Personal supports (adults, ADLs, meal prep, hygiene)
• Physical therapy
• Private duty nursing
• Residential habilitation across four tiers (Standard, Behavior-Focused, Intensive Behavior, Enhanced Intensive Behavior)
• Residential nursing services
• Respiratory therapy
• Respite care
• Skilled nursing
• Special medical home care
• Specialized mental health counseling
• Speech therapy
• Support coordination (mandatory case management)
• Supported employment
• Supported living coaching
• Transportation

Several of these, behavior analysis, supported employment, supported living coaching, residential habilitation tiers, adult day training, are unique to iBudget and not available through SMMC LTC. Conversely, SMMC LTC covers ALF room and board, adult day health, and hospice that iBudget does not.

Consumer-Directed Care Plus (CDC+), paid family caregivers in iBudget

CDC+ is iBudget's self-direction option under §393.0662(2) F.S., authorized through Florida's 1915(j) amendment. Inside CDC+:

• The consumer (or a designated representative) becomes the employer of record.
• The consumer hires, supervises, and manages workers under a monthly budget.
• Workers do not have to be enrolled Medicaid providers, but they must clear the AHCA Clearinghouse background screening.
• A Fiscal/Employer Agent (F/EA) handles payroll, taxes, and workers' compensation.

For families: parents of minor children on iBudget can be paid for self-directed personal care through CDC+. Spouses can be paid for approved services in some configurations, but paid-spouse status under iBudget is narrower than under SMMC LTC's PDO. Verify the current CDC+ Program Handbook for spouse-as-paid-worker conditions before assuming a spouse can be hired.

The CDC+ Helpline is 1-866-761-7043.

For our complete guide to paid family caregiving in Florida, including the SMMC LTC PDO, CDC+, the Veterans Aid & Attendance benefit, and FHHA, see How to Get Paid as a Family Caregiver in Florida.

Recent legislative changes affecting iBudget

• HB 1271 (2024) modified crisis criteria and waitlist processing.
• HB 1103 (2025), effective July 1, 2025, requires quarterly reconciliation, a five-day posting requirement for the county-level pre-enrollment list, and foster-youth transition planning.
• SB 2510 (2023) created the ICMC pilot.

The FY 2025-26 House appropriation was $987M with $13.3M general revenue ($17.8M federal match) for approximately 400 waitlist enrollments. The Senate appropriated $1.3B with no specified waitlist number. Net waitlist reduction is marginal, meaningful waitlist relief requires either a much larger appropriation, a federal disaster-related grant, or a structural shift such as ICMC growth.

ICMC: the new IDD managed-care alternative

The Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Comprehensive Managed Care (ICMC) program is Florida's newest IDD pathway and the most consequential structural change in the state's IDD landscape in a decade. Created by SB 2510 (2023) as a voluntary 700-slot pilot, ICMC moved to statewide rollout on October 1, 2025 under operator Florida Community Care (FCC), with a 2025-26 expansion to 2,108 slots.

The most important date to circle on the calendar: July 1, 2026. On that day, ICMC opens enrollment to individuals already enrolled on the iBudget waiver or the SMMC LTC waiver. Choosing ICMC removes the member from the iBudget pre-enrollment list (and, for an iBudget enrollee, transfers the member out of iBudget into ICMC), but is voluntary and disenrollable. A family that tries ICMC and decides it isn't working can return to iBudget, though there can be timing implications.

ICMC combines MMA medical, LTC, and DD waiver-style services into one capitated managed-care plan. Plans add expanded benefits typical of capitated managed care, gym memberships, grocery cards, summer camp scholarships, that traditional iBudget does not offer.

The trade-off: traditional iBudget gives families maximum flexibility under fee-for-service rules and the CDC+ self-direction option. ICMC trades some of that flexibility for integrated medical/behavioral/LTC management under one plan plus expanded benefits. For some families, especially those who find coordinating across MMA, the dental plan, and iBudget exhausting, that trade is worth it. For others, the loss of fee-for-service flexibility outweighs the simpler administration.

If you're on the iBudget pre-enrollment list right now, the question for July 1, 2026 is: does ICMC give my family functional access faster than waiting for an iBudget slot? Because choosing ICMC removes you from the iBudget list, this is not a costless decision. We recommend talking with your APD support coordinator and the FCC enrollment line before opting in.

PACE: Florida's Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly

PACE, Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, is a federally authorized integrated care model under §1894 (Medicare) and §1934 (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act. It's a capitated dual-program model that integrates Medicare and Medicaid in a single entity. The PACE organization receives a fixed monthly payment per member from each program and is responsible for all of the member's medical, behavioral, long-term care, and end-of-life needs.

Florida operates 9-10 PACE organizations as of 2026. AHCA is the contracting Medicaid agency; CMS oversees the Medicare side.

PACE eligibility

• Age 55 or older. PACE is the only HCBS pathway in Florida that uses 55 as the floor, every other engine (except FHHA for children) starts at 65 or covers all ages.
• Meets nursing-facility level of care, determined by DOEA/CARES.
• Lives in a PACE service area. PACE coverage is geographic, not statewide.
• Able to live safely in the community with PACE support.

Approximately 99% of PACE participants nationally are dual-eligible, enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid. As of August 2023, OPPAGA Program Summary 5024 reported 2,667 Florida enrollees in 5,759 funded slots, meaning Florida has substantial unused PACE capacity. Many service areas have open enrollment.

Cost to the member

• Dual-eligible (Medicare + Medicaid): $0 out of pocket.
• Medicaid-only: Pays any applicable share of cost under the Personal Needs Allowance (PNA) rules.
• Medicare-only or private-pay: Full premium (substantial, generally not used by middle-income families without long-term care insurance).

Florida PACE organizations in 2026

• Florida PACE Centers (Miami Jewish Health), serving Miami-Dade and Broward. The oldest Florida PACE provider. Opened Douglas Gardens Senior Health and Living in Pembroke Pines in April 2026, the largest single-campus PACE in the state.
• MorseLife PACE, serving Palm Beach County with three sites: West Palm Beach main campus, PACE Delray, and PACE Greenacres.
• Suncoast PACE (Empath Health), serving the Tampa Bay region.
• InnovAge Florida, serving Orlando and Tampa.
• Hope PACE / Senior Choices of Southwest Florida, serving Lee, Collier, and Charlotte counties.
• Additional providers operate in Jacksonville, Polk, Orange, and other counties, verify current rosters against the AHCA February 2026 PACE Monthly Report.

For a complete directory and side-by-side comparison with SMMC LTC, see our Florida PACE Directory.

FHHA: the family-caregiver-as-paid-aide program for medically fragile children

The Family Home Health Aide (FHHA) Services Program is Florida's newest HCBS-adjacent pathway and one of the most consequential for parents of medically fragile children. It was added under Florida's MMA 1115 demonstration amendment with CMS approval in July 2025 for the family-caregiver-as-paid-aide component. FHHA is not a 1915(c) waiver and not a 1915(i) state-plan option, it lives inside the 1115 MMA demonstration and is delivered through MMA managed-care plans (Sunshine Health and others contract for FHHA delivery).

Who FHHA serves

Medically fragile children under age 21 who are eligible for Private Duty Nursing (PDN). These are children with tracheostomies, ventilator dependency, complex feeding needs, or other conditions requiring continuous skilled nursing oversight at home.

What FHHA changes

Before FHHA, a family member who provided hands-on care for a medically fragile child did so unpaid while a separate home health aide was billed to Medicaid for the same hours of care. FHHA closes that gap: a parent, sibling, or other relative can now train, become employed by a home health agency, and receive Medicaid reimbursement for FHHA services delivered to the child.

The training and supervision model

• 86-hour training program finalized by AHCA, 11 hours above the 75-hour federal floor for Medicare/Medicaid home health aides.
• Non-related Registered Nurse supervision required. A related RN (the child's mother who is also an RN, for instance) cannot serve as the supervising nurse. Supervision must come from outside the family.
• Child-specific instruction for advanced tasks delegated by the RN after demonstrated competency.

The utilization caps

After SB 1156 (2025), effective July 1, 2025, FHHA hours are capped at:

• 12 hours per day
• 40 hours per week

with exceptions for medical necessity. These caps were added in response to concerns about overlap with school-day private duty nursing and to align FHHA with broader home health workforce norms.

What's still open

AHCA submitted a CMS waiver request on August 22, 2025 seeking:

1. An income disregard so family caregiver earnings don't count against the child's Medicaid eligibility.
2. Permission for pediatric specialty PDN providers to bill for FHHA services.

Final CMS approval status on the disregard and the pediatric specialty PDN amendment is open as of May 2026. Without the income disregard, families have to manage the risk that the parent's FHHA earnings push the child over the Medicaid income limit, a genuinely thorny problem that some families solve with pooled trusts or careful budgeting.

Children served in 2026

AHCA has not published a final figure. The Home Care Association of Florida reports 400+ families expressing interest and 82% of surveyed home health agencies planning to participate. We expect FHHA enrollment to grow significantly through 2026 and 2027 as agency capacity expands.

Niche legacy waivers: Model Waiver and Familial Dysautonomia (FD) Waiver

Two narrow-population 1915(c) waivers continue to operate in 2026, both small but consequential for the families who qualify.

Model Waiver (FL.40166.R06)

• Operator: AHCA.
• Target: Children age 20 and under who are medically complex/fragile or have degenerative spinocerebellar disease.
• Eligibility: Beyond the medically fragile criteria, the child must have either a degenerative spinocerebellar disease diagnosis or at least 60 days of nursing facility residence prior to enrollment.
• Capacity: Approximately 20 children. AHCA reports "only a handful enrolled" historically.
• Why it matters: The Model Waiver allows certain children to qualify for Medicaid without counting parental income, a critical feature for middle-income families whose child would otherwise be ineligible for Medicaid because of parental earnings.
• Coming changes: AHCA proposes a 36-month redesign implementation beginning July 2026 (services Q4 FY 2028-29) under SB 1490 (2025) to expand eligibility to children receiving PDN. This is the first significant Model Waiver change in 20+ years. Families with medically fragile children who don't currently qualify under the spinocerebellar/NF-residence criteria should watch the redesign closely, eligibility may broaden substantially.

Familial Dysautonomia (FD) Waiver (FL.40205.R04)

• Operator: AHCA.
• Target: Individuals with Familial Dysautonomia, ages 3 through 64, with physician-confirmed diagnosis, at risk of hospitalization.
• Capacity: 15 participants statewide.

If your family fits FD or Model Waiver criteria, contact AHCA's Medicaid Helpline at 1-877-254-1055 for application guidance.

What Florida does NOT operate in 2026

Three federal HCBS authorities exist that Florida is not currently using:

Money Follows the Person (MFP), Florida is NOT an MFP state in 2026

The federal MFP demonstration grant helps states transition Medicaid beneficiaries from institutions back into community settings. Florida received an MFP grant in 2011 but withdrew in 2013 and has not re-applied. The federal MFP program was extended through September 30, 2027 by the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2023, but Florida has not pursued reinstatement. This means Florida lacks a dedicated funding stream for nursing-home-to-community transitions, that work happens within SMMC LTC and individual MCOs without a dedicated MFP budget.

1915(i) State-Plan HCBS Option, Florida does NOT operate this option

A 1915(i) state-plan option lets states offer HCBS as a state-plan benefit (an entitlement) rather than through a slot-limited waiver. Florida is absent from CMS state-plan HCBS lists and from AHCA's federal-authorities page. All Florida HCBS funding flows through 1915(c) waivers, the 1115 MMA demonstration, or the 1915(b)(c) combined SMMC LTC.

Project AIDS Care (PAC) waiver, TERMINATED December 1, 2017

The PAC waiver historically served Floridians with an AIDS diagnosis. The 2017 Florida Legislature amended state law so AIDS-diagnosed individuals can obtain and maintain Medicaid without PAC enrollment. Former PAC participants moved to MMA. The Long-Term Care Community Diversion Pilot Project (LTCCDPP) was likewise discontinued when Florida moved to statewide 1915(b)(c) SMMC LTC under the 2011-2013 reform legislation.

If you find an old website, Reddit thread, or even a (sadly out-of-date) provider page referencing PAC or LTCCDPP, that information is at least eight years stale.

Decision tree: which Florida HCBS pathway should I apply for?

Use this triage, then verify with the program operator before committing.

Under 21 with IDD diagnosis → Apply for iBudget as early as possible. Expect a multi-year wait. Watch for Category 1 (Crisis) eligibility if circumstances deteriorate.

Under 21, medically fragile, on Private Duty Nursing → Apply for FHHA (immediate paid-family-caregiver opportunity) and the Model Waiver (especially if your child has a spinocerebellar disease diagnosis or 60+ days NF residence, and watch the 2026-2028 redesign). If the child also has an IDD diagnosis, apply for iBudget in parallel.

Adult 18+ with IDD → iBudget is your primary engine. Consider ICMC starting July 1, 2026 if you're already enrolled in iBudget or LTC and the integrated managed-care model fits your family.

Adult 55-64, dual-eligible, needing comprehensive integrated care, in a PACE service area → PACE is often the best choice if available where you live. Florida has substantial unused PACE capacity (~3,000 slots open as of late 2023).

Adult 18+ with physical disability → SMMC LTC.

Adult 65+ with frailty, ADL deficits, or cognitive decline → SMMC LTC. Add PACE to the consideration set if dual-eligible and in service area.

Familial Dysautonomia ages 3-64 → FD Waiver (very small but the right pathway if you qualify).

Important federal rules

• Only one 1915(c) waiver enrollment at a time. A child cannot be on iBudget and the FD Waiver simultaneously.
• Choosing ICMC removes you from the iBudget pre-enrollment list. This is a one-way door (with a return option that has timing implications), don't opt in lightly.
• PACE replaces both Medicare and Medicaid managed-care enrollment. When you join PACE, the PACE organization becomes responsible for all your Medicare and Medicaid services. You cannot keep your existing Medicare Advantage plan or MMA plan.
• State plan benefits (home health, FHHA via 1115) can run alongside a 1915(c) waiver for medically fragile children since FHHA is 1115-authorized, not 1915(c).

Application resources: phone numbers and websites

Save these. You'll use most of them.

Financial Medicaid eligibility (DCF ACCESS Florida), 1-866-762-2237

SMMC LTC release list / Elder Helpline (DOEA), 1-800-963-5337

iBudget customer line (APD), 1-866-273-2273 (toll-free)

APD main line, (850) 488-4257

APD email, APD.info@apdcares.org

Consumer-Directed Care Plus (CDC+) Helpline, 1-866-761-7043

AHCA Medicaid Helpline, 1-877-254-1055

Choice Counseling (SMMC enrollment), 1-877-711-3662

Florida PACE Providers Association, flpace.org (provider directory)

DD Waitlist Campaign (USF), ddwaitlist.cbcs.usf.edu (real-time waitlist data)

Disability Rights Florida, disabilityrightsflorida.org (legal advocacy)

Florida Senior Legal Helpline, 1-888-895-7873 (free legal advice age 60+)

APD has 14 regional/area offices statewide for in-person support.

Frequently asked questions

A few more common questions:

Can a Medicaid-only (non-dual) Floridian enroll in PACE? Yes, but the member pays any applicable Medicaid share of cost under PNA rules. Most PACE participants nationally (~99%) are dual-eligible because that's where the financial integration delivers the largest benefit.

Why doesn't Florida have a 1915(i) state-plan option? A 1915(i) option would convert HCBS to an entitlement and would substantially increase Florida's Medicaid spend. The state has chosen to keep HCBS slot-limited via 1915(c) waivers and the 1115 MMA demonstration. There is no current legislative proposal to add a 1915(i) option in Florida.

Why isn't Florida an MFP state? Florida received an MFP grant in 2011 but withdrew in 2013. The federal program was extended through 9/30/2027 in the 2023 federal budget, but Florida has not re-applied. Nursing-home-to-community transitions in Florida happen within SMMC LTC and individual MCOs without a dedicated MFP budget.

What happened to the Project AIDS Care (PAC) waiver? PAC was terminated December 1, 2017. The 2017 Florida Legislature amended state law so that AIDS-diagnosed individuals can obtain and maintain Medicaid without PAC enrollment. Former PAC participants moved to MMA.

What's the Model Waiver redesign and when does it take effect? SB 1490 (2025) directed AHCA to redesign the Model Waiver, the first significant change in 20+ years. AHCA proposes a 36-month redesign implementation beginning July 2026 (services in Q4 FY 2028-29) to expand eligibility to children receiving PDN. If your family has a medically fragile child who doesn't currently meet Model Waiver criteria (spinocerebellar disease or 60+ days NF residence), the redesign may bring eligibility within reach.

How is HB 1103 (2025) affecting iBudget transparency? HB 1103 requires APD to post the iBudget pre-enrollment list at the county level every five days, plus quarterly reconciliation and foster-youth transition planning. Families can now see waitlist movement in their own county in near-real-time, and APD can no longer let the list go stale.

The bottom line

Florida's HCBS landscape is not one program, it's a portfolio. Three engines (SMMC LTC, iBudget, FHHA) plus ICMC, PACE, and two niche legacy waivers. Each pathway has its own eligibility test, its own waitlist dynamics, its own paid-family-caregiver rules, and its own application phone number.

The most important decisions in 2026:

1. Apply early. iBudget waits of 10 years are real; the longer you wait to file, the longer your eligibility-determination clock takes to produce a slot offer.
2. Watch the July 1, 2026 ICMC opening. If you have an adult on iBudget or LTC, evaluate ICMC carefully, it's a one-way door with a return option that has timing implications.
3. For medically fragile children: stack pathways. FHHA (immediate paid family caregiver), Model Waiver (especially if redesign expands eligibility in 2026-2028), and iBudget (if there's an IDD overlap) can run in parallel.
4. For PACE-area dual-eligibles 55+: consider PACE. Florida has thousands of unused PACE slots. PACE delivers the most integrated care of any pathway in the state, at zero out-of-pocket cost for dual-eligibles.
5. Don't rely on out-of-date sources. The PAC waiver is gone. LTCCDPP is gone. MFP isn't operating in Florida. 1915(i) doesn't exist here. If a guide tells you otherwise, it's stale.

Florida's HCBS portfolio is the most complicated in the country. It's also the most flexible, there are more pathways for paid family caregiving in Florida than in any peer state. If you can navigate the maze, you'll find a pathway that fits.

Need help navigating?

Florida's HCBS pathways are complicated by design. If you're staring at this guide trying to figure out where to start for a specific family member, here are the people to call.

For an older parent (65+) or physically disabled adult: Start with the DOEA Elder Helpline at 1-800-963-5337. They'll route you to your local Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) and the SMMC LTC release-list process. See our full Florida Long-Term Care Waiver guide.

For a child or adult with IDD: Start with APD's iBudget customer line at 1-866-273-2273. Apply for the pre-enrollment list immediately even if you expect a long wait, your eligibility-determination date is what governs your position within your category.

For a medically fragile child on private duty nursing: Ask the child's home health agency about FHHA participation, and call AHCA's Medicaid Helpline at 1-877-254-1055 about Model Waiver eligibility.

For an adult 55+ in a PACE service area: Use the Florida PACE Providers Association directory to find your local PACE organization. Call them directly, most have open slots.

For paid family caregiving: See our complete guide, How to Get Paid as a Family Caregiver in Florida.

For free legal help with appeals or eligibility denials: Florida Senior Legal Helpline 1-888-895-7873 (age 60+).

For advocacy and rights protection: Disability Rights Florida.

The pathway that fits your family is in this guide. Now go find the door, knock, and don't take "wait" for an answer when the rules say otherwise.

Find personalized help navigating Florida's HCBS waivers at brevy.com.