Florida
What every adult child of a Florida senior needs to know about Medicaid, post-Surfside condo law, and the state’s unusual Medigap rules.
Since January 2025, Florida condos three stories or taller must fully fund reserves based on a Structural Integrity Reserve Study. If your parent owns in one, expect higher HOA fees and possible special assessments.
Florida’s lack of an income tax helps seniors on fixed incomes, but high sales tax and the state’s elective-share statute make estate planning unusually important. Florida is also one of nine states with a homestead exemption that protects the primary residence from most creditors.
Florida applies the federal 60-month look-back without exception, and the Institutional Care Program (ICP) waiver has detailed asset-counting rules. Plan ahead: gifts and transfers in this window can trigger a multi-month penalty.
Medicare in Florida
State Medigap rules, HMO vs PPO Advantage availability by county.
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Medicaid & LTC in Florida
Look-back, MMMNA, asset planning, the ICP waiver.
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Care Settings & Costs in FL
Florida cost-of-care by metro; when assisted living is the right call.
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Legal & Financial — FL
Florida POA, advance directives, probate, homestead.
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The Caregiver’s Life — FL
Florida employer FMLA differences, caregiver tax credits.
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For when you don’t want to dig
Medicaid agency, Area Agency on Aging, Adult Protective Services, free Medicare counseling, legal aid, official forms, and every statute we cite. All in one page.
OCT 15 → DEC 7
Medicare Annual Enrollment Period
Compare Medicare Advantage and Part D plans for next year. Florida has unusually wide variation across counties.
DEC 31
End of FL Medicaid annual redetermination cycle
For many enrollees this is when continued eligibility is confirmed. Verify your parent’s coverage doesn’t lapse.
Q1 ANNUAL
HOA reserve study disclosures
Review your parent’s HOA budget for SIRS-driven fee changes. Special assessments often hit in Q2.
Recent from Florida
Reviewed by Jane Doe, JD · May 21
Reviewed by Lina Hart, CFP · May 14
Reviewed by Marc Olin, RN · May 7
Caregiving rules differ meaningfully across state lines. If you’re weighing where to relocate your parent, these comparisons matter.
How we research Florida-specific guidance.
Every state page is built from three sources: the state’s own statutes and regulatory filings, federal CMS and SSA documents that apply, and direct input from at least one credentialed reviewer who practices in or is licensed in that state. We re-review every state page quarterly. Florida was last fully reviewed on May 21, 2026 by Jane Doe, JD.