Florida Long-Term Care and Medicaid

The book is written for families, not lawyers: the adult child whose parent has just been admitted to a nursing home, the spouse who has been told the savings will be gone in a year, and anyone who wants to plan before a health crisis becomes a financial one. It assumes no legal background. It explains the system as it works in Florida, which has its own Medicaid rules, its own homestead protections, and its own waiting list for home and assisted living care.

Much of the material in the Florida Medicaid guides on this site comes from the book. The difference is timing. A printed edition fixes its figures at the date it went to press, while Florida's income cap, asset limits, and spousal allowances change every year and some change mid-year. The guides are updated whenever the figures change, so for the numbers that apply today, use the guides. For the full picture, read the book.

Carl B. Zacharia has practiced elder law for more than thirty years. He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania since 1994 and in Florida since 1995 (Florida Bar No. 50784), is a founding partner of Zacharia Frey PLLC in Bonita Springs, and founded Senior Care Resources in 2007. He has argued Medicaid cases before state and federal appellate courts. Read his full profile.

The book and this page are general information about Florida long-term care and Medicaid. Neither is legal advice, and reading them does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every family's situation is different, and decisions about transfers, trusts, deeds, and spousal planning should be made with an elder law attorney.