Florida Medicaid help in Northwest Florida and the panhandle
Medicaid help for nursing home and assisted living care in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties. Founded by an elder law attorney, flat fee $3,500.
Serving Northwest Florida and the Panhandle
Senior Care Resources helps families in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties qualify for and obtain Florida long-term care Medicaid. In the Central time zone on the Alabama border, with a large veteran population and cross-state-line assets that Florida Medicaid still counts. We work with Northwest Florida and the Panhandle families by phone, video, and secure document upload — see what we do for our founding and fee.
Where we serve in Northwest Florida and the panhandle
Counties: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton.
Communities include: Pensacola, Milton, Navarre, Gulf Breeze, Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Crestview, Niceville, DeFuniak Springs, Santa Rosa Beach.
What is different about Northwest Florida and the panhandle
The western Panhandle sits in the Central time zone and borders Alabama, and a surprising number of families here own property or bank accounts across the state line. Florida Medicaid counts assets wherever they are located. The region also has a very large veteran population from the Pensacola and Eglin installations.
More about Northwest Florida and the panhandle
Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton counties sit in the Central time zone, unlike most of the state, and Escambia and Santa Rosa share a direct border with Alabama. That creates a genuine wrinkle for a Medicaid application: families here often hold bank accounts, vehicles, or other assets on both sides of the state line, and all of it counts toward Florida's Medicaid asset test regardless of where it's held.
This region also has one of Florida's highest concentrations of military veterans, driven by NAS Pensacola in Escambia County and Eglin Air Force Base, which spans Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Walton counties. Census data put veterans at roughly 10% of Escambia County's population and 14% of Okaloosa County's, meaning VA benefits frequently need to be coordinated alongside a Medicaid application.
Property values add a third local wrinkle, especially along the Walton County coast, where home values run well above inland parts of the same county. A primary residence is typically exempt from the asset test up to Florida's equity cap, but high coastal values make an early equity check, and estate-recovery planning, especially worthwhile here.
Local agencies a family here will deal with
- Northwest Florida Area Agency on Aging : the Aging and Disability Resource Center for Northwest Florida and the Panhandle — 5090 Commerce Park Circle, Pensacola, FL 32505, (850) 494-7101 (or the toll-free helpline, 866-531-8011), www.nwflaaa.org/ . It screens applicants for the assisted living and home care wait list.
- Department of Elder Affairs, CARES program : makes the medical level-of-care determination. CARES, the state's medical-necessity assessment for long-term care Medicaid, has a dedicated field office for this region at 160 W. Government Street, Suite 515, Pensacola, FL 32501, (850) 595-0505 — a DOEA office, separate from the Northwest Florida Area Agency on Aging.
- Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) (ACCESS Florida, 1-866-762-2237): takes the financial application. We handle the filing and stay on the case with all three agencies through approval.
The 2026 Florida figures
The income cap is $2,982 a month, the countable asset limit is $2,000 for a single applicant, and a spouse at home keeps up to $162,660 in assets. These figures are the same everywhere in Florida, including in Pensacola — see the full Florida Medicaid limits guide for the rest of them and how each one works.
How we work with families here
A free screening tells us the applicant's income, assets, and care setting, and we give you a written summary before anything is filed: where the applicant stands against Florida's limits, what the application will require, and which questions need an attorney. From there we gather the documents, file with DCF, coordinate the CARES assessment, and stay on the case until there is a decision. See how the process works and what to expect from the application for the full walkthrough.
Frequently asked questions
My parent has a bank account in alabama as well as Florida. Does Florida Medicaid count it?
Yes. Florida's asset test counts everything the applicant owns or has legal access to, regardless of which state it's held in. Because Escambia and Santa Rosa counties border Alabama directly, it's common for families here to have accounts on both sides of the line — all of it needs to be disclosed.
Do you help veteran families near pensacola or eglin afb?
Yes. This region has one of Florida's highest concentrations of veterans, and veteran households often have added considerations — VA Aid & Attendance interacting with Medicaid eligibility, military pensions, survivor benefits. We coordinate VA and Medicaid benefits together.
How do I apply for Medicaid if I live in this region?
Florida DCF doesn't run a walk-in office per county anymore. The Public Benefits Call Center, (850) 300-4323, and the online MyACCESS portal serve the whole state, including this region. We can also work with the Northwest Florida Area Agency on Aging on your behalf.
How long is the wait for waiver services through the local adrc?
The Northwest Florida Area Agency on Aging manages that waitlist directly, but doesn't publish a fixed wait time, and it varies. Call their Elder Helpline at 866-531-8011, or ask us to check on a specific case.
My parent owns a home near 30a in walton county. Does the high value affect Medicaid eligibility?
A primary residence is generally exempt regardless of market value, subject to Florida's home equity cap. But coastal Walton County values run well above inland areas of the same county, so it's worth confirming the home's equity early — it affects estate recovery exposure and post-eligibility planning even when it doesn't block qualifying.
Find out where your family stands in Northwest Florida and the panhandle
We'll email you a short two-page intake form about your family member's care, income, and savings. Once you send it back, a member of our staff reviews it personally and calls you to talk through where things stand and what comes next. Families anywhere in Florida. No cost, no obligation.
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.