Serving Tampa Bay
Florida Medicaid Help in Tampa Bay
Senior Care Resources helps families in Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee, Hardee and Highlands counties qualify for and obtain Florida long-term care Medicaid for nursing home, assisted living, and home care. We were founded in 2007 by elder law attorney Carl B. Zacharia, have served Florida families since 2025, and charge a flat fee of $3,500. We work with Tampa Bay families by phone, video, and secure document upload, the same way we work with families across the state.
Where we serve in Tampa Bay
Counties: Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee, Hardee and Highlands.
Communities include: Tampa, Brandon, Plant City, Lakeland, Winter Haven, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Sebring, Wauchula.
Nursing homes and assisted living facilities anywhere in these counties. Florida Medicaid is administered by Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) under one set of rules statewide, and a Medicaid application is the same application whether the facility is in Tampa or in Bonita Springs.
What is different about Tampa Bay
The Tampa Bay region combines a large urban county with several rural ones, and CARES assessment scheduling can vary widely between them. Families in Polk and Highlands counties in particular often find that assisted living Medicaid (the SMMC Long-Term Care program) has a longer wait than nursing home Medicaid, which changes what the right first step is.
Local agencies a family here will deal with
- Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF): takes the financial application through ACCESS Florida (online) or by phone at 1-866-762-2237.
- Department of Elder Affairs, CARES program: makes the medical level-of-care determination for this region.
- Senior Connection Center: the Aging and Disability Resource Center for Tampa Bay, reached through the statewide Elder Helpline at 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337). It screens applicants for the assisted living and home care wait list.
- Senior Care Resources: manages the application, coordinates with all three, and involves our affiliated elder law firm when a case needs legal work.
The 2026 Florida figures
- Income cap: $2,982 a month (a Qualified Income Trust above that).
- Countable assets: $2,000 for a single applicant.
- Community spouse resource allowance: up to $162,660.
- Community spouse income allowance: $2,705 to $4,066.50 a month.
- Transfer penalty divisor: $10,645 per month.
- Home equity limit: $752,000.
All of these are explained in the Florida Medicaid limits guide.
How we work with families here
- A free screening by phone or online tells us the applicant's income, assets, marital status, and care setting.
- We give you a written plan: what is exempt, what must be spent down and how, whether a Qualified Income Trust is needed, what a spouse at home keeps, and whether anything needs an attorney.
- We gather the documents with you, including the five years of statements Florida requires.
- We file with DCF, serve as designated representative, coordinate the CARES assessment, and answer every request for information until the case is approved.
- After approval we set up the monthly trust deposits if there are any, explain the patient responsibility, and prepare you for the renewal.
Read more about how the process works and what to expect from the application.
Frequently asked questions
Does Senior Care Resources help families in Tampa Bay?
Yes. We work with families in Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee, Hardee and Highlands counties by phone, video, and secure document upload. Florida Medicaid uses one set of rules and one application system statewide, so a family in Tampa gets the same service as one next door to our office.
What are the Medicaid limits for nursing home care in Tampa in 2026?
The same as everywhere in Florida: $2,982 a month in income (a Qualified Income Trust is required above that), $2,000 in countable assets for a single applicant, and up to $162,660 protected for a spouse at home.
Who does the medical assessment for Medicaid in Tampa Bay?
The Florida Department of Elder Affairs' CARES program, through its office for this region. The financial application goes to the Department of Children and Families through ACCESS Florida. The Senior Connection Center is the local Aging and Disability Resource Center and handles the screening for the assisted living and home care wait list.
How do I get on the assisted living Medicaid wait list in Tampa?
Call the statewide Elder Helpline at 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337) and ask for a long-term care program screening; the call is routed to the Senior Connection Center. We can make the call with you and prepare the financial side so the application is ready when a slot is released.
Free Medicaid screening
Find out where your family stands in Tampa Bay
A few questions about income, assets, and care tell us whether your family member is eligible for Florida Medicaid now, what stands in the way if not, and what a plan would look like. Families anywhere in Florida. No cost, no obligation.
This 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.