Can you get paid to care for a family member in Florida?

Yes, through 2 programs we verified. In Florida, the main way to get paid to care for a relative is the Participant Directed Option in Medicaid's managed long-term care program. The enrollee can hire family members, and the state's waiver says this can include a spouse. The person receiving care must be enrolled in SMMC Long-Term Care and live at home. Families of people with developmental disabilities on the iBudget waiver can use CDC+ to hire relatives.

Which Florida programs pay family caregivers?

Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care (SMMC LTC) Participant Directed Option (PDO)

• Type: Medicaid self-direction
• Who can be paid: Any qualified worker the enrollee hires, including neighbors, friends and family members, and also a spouse or other legally responsible person, if they are 18 or older, pass a Level II background screening, sign a worker agreement and meet the minimum provider qualifications. A representative who manages the employer role cannot also be the paid worker.
• Who qualifies for care: SMMC LTC enrollees who live in their own home or a family home and have adult companion care, attendant nursing care, homemaker, intermittent or skilled nursing, or personal care in their plan of care.

Consumer Directed Care Plus (CDC+), iBudget Florida waiver

• Type: Medicaid self-direction
• Who can be paid: Workers the participant hires outside the waiver provider network, including family members who meet the service requirements; a family member who is paid to provide services cannot also be the participant's representative.
• Who qualifies for care: People with developmental disabilities enrolled in the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) iBudget waiver who live in their own home or a family home.

Are there national programs too?

Yes. Veterans may qualify for VA programs that pay or support family caregivers: Veteran Directed Care and the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers.

What should you confirm with the state?

Pay rates are set by each managed care plan, so ask the plan for its PDO rate.