Medicaid Benefits in Florida – What You Should Know
Medicaid benefits in Florida can be confusing to anyone particularly if there is a crisis like needing to fund an Assisted Living or Nursing Home placement. We will shed some light on it for you now. Once you are approved, you also need to learn what your Florida Medicaid benefits cover and how they work.
These benefits can help you take care of a majority of your medical needs, usually at little or no cost to you. This is fortunate considering skilled Eldercare can cost up to $70,000 per year.
Your Medicaid benefits can include (but may not be limited to):
- Doctor visits
- Hospital stays
- Surgery
- Lab work
- Prescription drugs
- Over the counter drugs
- Ultrasounds
- Diagnostic testing
- X-rays
- Home Health Care services
- Assisted Living services
- Nursing home services
- Medical supplies (oxygen tanks, diabetes testing kits, heart monitors, etc.)
- Dialysis
- Psychiatric care and counseling
- Transportation to and from doctors and hospitals
- Hearing aids
- Eyeglasses
- Dental care
Where You Can Use Your Medicaid Benefits:
For the most part, you can use your benefits in Florida hospitals, health care centers, clinics, and physician’s offices that accept the program.
The value of these benefits will depend on your situation and which program under the Florida Medicaid umbrella you were approved for. For example, you may be approved for routine doctor’s visits, temporary hospital stays, diagnostic testing, prescription drugs, and even surgery, but you still may not qualify for assisted living or nursing home services.
If you are part of the Medically Needy program, your Medicaid benefits will not kick in until you have incurred a certain amount of medical expenses for the month. The value of your benefits may also be affected if you are using Medicaid as a supplemental insurance to your Medicare benefits, so that Medicaid will cover co-pays or anything else that extends beyond your Medicare coverage.
Due to the program’s funding status as opposed to Medicare, Medicaid benefits in Florida are determined by the state; whereas Medicare benefits are determined on a Federal level. The state of Florida can increase or decrease benefits depending on the state’s need; whether they are the needs of the people or the need for a balanced budget.
We help seniors and their children obtain Medicaid benefits in Florida for themselves or their loved one if they need Assisted Living or Nursing Home care. Please see our Who We Work With page for more information.
Medicaid benefits in Florida can be a daunting maze in particular if you are seeking coverage for Assisted Living Care or Nursing Home Care. Visit our Free Article Index to read more about Florida Medicaid and getting the coverage you need.