2026 Florida Cost of Care
| Type of care | Average monthly | Average yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing home, semi-private room | ~$10,300 | ~$124,000 |
| Nursing home, private room | ~$12,200 | ~$146,000 |
| Assisted living facility | ~$5,600 | ~$67,000 |
| In-home caregiver (44 hrs/wk) | ~$6,100 | ~$73,000 |
Figures are Florida statewide medians from the CareScout (Genworth) 2025 Cost of Care Survey, rounded; actual prices vary by county and facility and tend to rise each year.
Why Medicare Won’t Save You
This is the misunderstanding that costs families the most. Medicare is health insurance, not long-term-care insurance. It covers a short rehab stay after a hospitalization: up to 100 days, only while you need daily skilled care, and with a daily copay after day 20 ($217 a day in 2026). It pays nothing for ongoing custodial care, the daily help most nursing home residents need indefinitely. When the 100 days end, the bill becomes yours. See exactly what Medicare does and doesn’t cover →
What Florida Medicaid Covers
Florida’s Institutional Care Program (ICP) Medicaid pays for nursing home care once you meet the medical and financial tests. The financial limits are strict, but many assets are exempt. Your homestead is generally protected while you are living. The goal of Medicaid planning is to qualify without burning through everything you have first. See where you stand with the Medicaid eligibility calculator.
How Families Protect the Home
Your house is usually the biggest asset on the line. Two facts work in your favor, and one trap works against you:
- The homestead is exempt while you live and on Medicaid.
- Estate recovery hits only the probate estate. A lady bird deed passes the home outside probate, keeping it out of recovery’s reach.
- The trap: do not simply gift the home away. A gift triggers the 5-year Medicaid look-back penalty and costs your heirs the tax step-up. See how gifting backfires and what a transfer would cost in lost coverage.
The best time to plan is before you need care.
Even in a crisis, an elder-law attorney can often protect a real share of the estate. Book a free 30-minute consult and we will tell you what is possible.
Book your free consultFrequently Asked Questions
How Much Does a Nursing Home Cost in Florida in 2026?
A semi-private (shared) room in a Florida nursing home averages around $10,300 a month, and a private room around $12,200 a month, roughly $124,000 to $146,000 a year (CareScout, formerly Genworth, 2025 Cost of Care Survey). Assisted living, which is a lower level of care, averages closer to $5,600 a month. Costs vary by region and facility, and they rise most years.
Does Medicare Pay for Nursing Home Care in Florida?
Not for long. Medicare covers only short-term skilled care after a qualifying hospital stay, up to 100 days, and only while you need daily skilled care, with a daily copay after day 20 ($217 a day in 2026). It pays nothing for long-term custodial care, the day-to-day help with bathing, dressing, and eating that most nursing home residents actually need. That gap is what catches families by surprise.
Who Pays for Long-Term Nursing Home Care, Then?
Three sources: your own savings (private pay), long-term-care insurance if you bought it, or Medicaid once you qualify. Most Florida families end up relying on Medicaid, because at $10,000 a month, even substantial savings drain fast. The question is usually not whether Medicaid, but how much of your estate is gone before you get there.
Does Florida Medicaid Cover Nursing Home Costs?
Yes. Florida’s Institutional Care Program (ICP) Medicaid pays for nursing home care for those who meet the medical and financial rules. In 2026 the income and asset limits are strict, but many assets are exempt, including, in most cases, your homestead while you are living. The key is qualifying without needlessly spending down everything first.
Will I Lose My House to Pay for a Nursing Home?
Not automatically. Your Florida homestead is generally exempt while you are alive and on Medicaid. The risk comes after death, through Medicaid estate recovery, but Florida recovery reaches only the probate estate. A lady bird deed passes the home outside probate, which is why it is a core tool for protecting the house. Do not, however, simply gift the home away; that triggers a Medicaid penalty.
How Long Will My Savings Last at $10,000 a Month?
Faster than most people expect. $200,000 in savings covers roughly 20 months of nursing-home care; $500,000 covers about 50 months. Use the estimate above to run your own number. Once you see the runway, the value of planning ahead, before a crisis, becomes obvious.
Can I Protect Assets and Still Qualify for Medicaid?
Often yes, with proper planning done in time. Florida allows several legitimate strategies (exempt-asset conversions, certain annuities, personal-services agreements, spousal protections for a husband or wife still at home) that are not the same as illegally hiding money. They work best before the 5-year look-back window matters, which is why early advice saves the most.
When Should I Talk to a Medicaid Planning Attorney?
As early as possible, ideally years before care is needed, but it is rarely too late. Even after someone has entered a nursing home (a "crisis" case), an elder-law attorney can often protect a meaningful share of the estate. The worst move is to start gifting or transferring on your own; that usually makes the Medicaid problem worse.
Common Situations
The 100-day surprise. A daughter assumes Medicare covers her father’s nursing home. After 100 days the facility hands her a $10,000-a-month private-pay bill. We step in, qualify him for ICP Medicaid, and protect the homestead with a lady bird deed before estate recovery can reach it.
The "spend it all down" fear. A couple believes one spouse entering care means losing everything. Florida’s spousal protections let the at-home spouse keep the house and a meaningful share of assets. Planning, not panic, saves the estate.
The early planner. A healthy 68-year-old wants to be ready. Because she plans well before the 5-year look-back matters, she has the widest set of options and the cheapest path to protecting her Sarasota home.
Sources of Law
- Cost figures: CareScout (Genworth) 2025 Cost of Care Survey, Florida statewide medians, rounded. carescout.com (retrieved 2026-07-11)
- Medicare skilled-nursing coverage limits (up to 100 days, post-hospitalization): 42 U.S.C. §1395, Medicare benefit policy; 2026 day 21 to 100 coinsurance $217/day per CMS CY 2026 rates. (retrieved 2026-07-11)
- Fla. Stat. §409.9101: Florida Medicaid estate recovery, limited to the probate estate. flsenate.gov
- Federal Medicaid transfer rules: 42 U.S.C. §1396p (5-year look-back; homestead exemption while residing).
Updated on July 11, 2026. Reviewed by Kevin D. Klagge, Esq., Fla. Bar No. 99502. Attorney Kevin Klagge represents families, businesses, and international clients in estate planning and international law, with a focus on Florida legal tools. He litigates estate and business issues in court. General information about Florida law and average costs, not legal, tax, or financial advice; figures are estimates that change over time. No attorney-client relationship is created.