Florida's Institutional Care Program is the route for someone who's already in — or about to enter — a licensed Florida nursing facility. Two separate reviews run at the same time: DCF handles the financial eligibility side, while the Department of Elder Affairs' CARES program determines whether the applicant actually needs nursing-facility-level medical care. DCF is required to request that CARES level-of-care determination within two days of getting the application, and CARES then has 12 days to respond (DCF ESS Manual Ch. 0600, §0640.0400).
Florida · Nursing Home Coverage