What are the Florida Medicaid income and asset limits for 2026?
The 2026 Florida long-term care Medicaid figures: $2,982 income cap, $2,000 asset limit, $162,660 spouse allowance, $10,645 penalty divisor, $752,000 home equity limit.
Florida Medicaid Guide
In 2026, a single Florida applicant for nursing home or assisted living Medicaid may have gross income of up to $2,982 a month and countable assets of up to $2,000. Income over the cap can be handled with a Qualified Income Trust, and a spouse at home may keep up to $162,660 in assets.
In 2026, a single Florida applicant for nursing home or assisted living Medicaid may have no more than $2,000 in countable assets and no more than $2,982 a month in gross income. A spouse who stays at home may keep up to $162,660 in assets and is entitled to at least $2,705 a month in income. The table below lists every figure the Florida Department of Children and Families applies, and the sections after it explain what each means. Figures are current as of September 2026.
Reviewed by Carl B. Zacharia, Esq. , Florida Bar No. 50784, author of Florida Long-Term Care and Medicaid · Last reviewed November 8, 2026. Figures shown are the ones Florida applies as of that date.
| Figure | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly income cap (applicant) | $2,982 |
| Countable asset limit (single applicant) | $2,000 |
| Countable asset limit (both spouses applying) | $3,000 |
| Community Spouse Resource Allowance (minimum) | $32,532 |
| Community Spouse Resource Allowance (maximum) | $162,660 |
| Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (spouse) | $2,705 |
| Maximum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (spouse) | $4,066.50 |
| Shelter standard | $812 |
| Standard utility allowance | $430 |
| Personal needs allowance (nursing home resident) | $160 |
| Transfer penalty divisor (per month of care) | $10,645 |
| Home equity limit | $752,000 |
Source: Florida Department of Children and Families, SSI-Related Programs Financial Eligibility Standards (Appendix A-9) , and the federal spousal impoverishment standards. Updated as the state publishes changes.
What is the Florida Medicaid income cap?
Florida is an "income cap" state. If the applicant's gross monthly income from every source (Social Security, pensions, annuity payments, IRA distributions, VA benefits, rental income) is more than $2,982, the person is not eligible, full stop, unless a Qualified Income Trust is in place. The cap is 300% of the federal SSI benefit rate and changes each January ( DCF Appendix A-9 — SSI-Related Programs Financial Eligibility Standards ).
Being over the cap is not the end of the road. It is the most common eligibility problem we see, and it is solved every day with a Qualified Income Trust . What it cannot be solved by is simply applying and hoping; an over-income application is denied.
What is the asset limit?
A single applicant may have $2,000 in countable assets. A married couple who are both applying may have $3,000 between them. "Countable" is the key word: the home (up to the equity limit, or without limit when a spouse or certain relatives live there), one vehicle, personal belongings, an irrevocable prepaid funeral, term life insurance, and, in Florida, retirement accounts that are in regular payout status, do not count.
Everything else does: checking and savings, CDs, brokerage accounts, cash-value life insurance over a small threshold, a second property, a boat, and the applicant's share of anything owned jointly. Florida counts the whole balance of a joint account as the applicant's unless the other owner can prove their contributions. See our spend-down guide for what can lawfully be done with assets over the limit.
What can a spouse at home keep?
When one spouse needs care and the other stays in the community, Florida lets the community spouse keep countable assets up to the Community Spouse Resource Allowance , which is $162,660 in 2026 ( the current CMS spousal impoverishment standards ). Florida applies the federal maximum, so the community spouse does not have to prove that half of the couple's assets reaches that figure.
The community spouse is also guaranteed a minimum income, the Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance. In 2026 it is at least $2,705 a month, and it can be raised as high as $4,066.50 when the spouse's housing costs are high. If the community spouse's own income is below the allowance, the difference is diverted from the nursing home spouse's income before the patient responsibility is calculated. Our community spouse guide goes through these rules in detail.
What is the transfer penalty divisor?
Gifts and other transfers for less than fair market value within the 60-month look-back period create a penalty period, calculated by dividing the total transferred by Florida's penalty divisor, currently $10,645 per month ( DCF Appendix A-8, Transfer Penalty Determination Process ). A $50,000 gift, for example, produces a penalty of about 4.7 months during which Medicaid will not pay for care, even though the applicant is otherwise eligible. The divisor is DCF's figure for the average monthly cost of a Florida nursing home and is updated periodically. Read the look-back guide before assuming any transfer is safe.
What is the home equity limit?
A Florida homestead is an exempt asset as long as the applicant intends to return to it or a spouse or dependent relative lives there. There is a limit on how much equity that exemption covers: $752,000 in 2026, a figure set under federal law ( 42 U.S.C. § 1396p(f) ) and published annually by DCF. The limit does not apply at all when the applicant's spouse, a child under 21, or a blind or disabled child lives in the home.
What are the personal needs allowance and patient responsibility?
Once approved, a nursing home resident keeps $160 a month of income as a personal needs allowance. After that, and after any diversion to a community spouse, the rest of the resident's income is paid to the facility each month as the "patient responsibility," and Medicaid pays the balance of the facility's Medicaid rate.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Florida Medicaid income limit for 2026?
$2,982 per month in gross income for a single applicant for nursing home or assisted living Medicaid, effective January 1, 2026. Income over the cap requires a Qualified Income Trust to qualify.
What is the Florida Medicaid asset limit for 2026?
$2,000 in countable assets for a single applicant, or $3,000 for a married couple who are both applying. The home, one vehicle, personal belongings, an irrevocable prepaid funeral, and retirement accounts in payout status are among the assets that do not count.
How much can a spouse keep in Florida if the other spouse goes on Medicaid?
Up to $162,660 in countable assets in 2026, plus the home, a vehicle, and any retirement account of theirs that is already paying out when the application is filed (an account that is not paying out counts toward the allowance). The community spouse is also entitled to a minimum monthly income of $2,705, which can rise to $4,066.50 with high shelter costs.
What is the Florida Medicaid penalty divisor?
$10,645 per month. The total of any transfers for less than fair value in the five-year look-back is divided by this figure to produce the number of months of ineligibility.
Does Florida Medicaid count my IRA or 401(k)?
Florida is unusual in that a retirement account that is in regular payout status (taking required or periodic distributions) is not a countable asset; the distributions count as income instead. An account that is not in payout status is countable at its full value. This is a rule that surprises families moving from other states.
When do the Florida Medicaid numbers change?
The income cap, asset limits, resource allowance, and home equity limit change each January. The Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance and shelter standard change each July. The penalty divisor is updated by DCF on its own schedule. We update this page when the state publishes new figures.
Sources
- DCF Appendix A-9 — SSI-Related Programs Financial Eligibility Standards
- DCF Appendix A-8 — Transfer Penalty Determination Process
- 42 U.S.C. § 1396r-5 — Treatment of income and resources for certain institutionalized spouses
- CMS — 2026 SSI and Spousal Impoverishment Standards (Informational Bulletin)
- 42 U.S.C. § 1396p — Liens, adjustments and recoveries, and transfers of assets
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Call (239) 977-5175This page is general information about Florida Medicaid, not legal advice, and nothing here creates an attorney-client relationship. Medicaid rules change and every family’s facts are different.
Senior Care Resources is a separate company from Zacharia Frey PLLC. Its Medicaid application services are not legal services, and no attorney-client protection applies to them. When an attorney becomes involved, that is a separate legal representation with the law firm.