Medicaid cuts could devastate Florida seniors in nursing homes

In nursing homes across Florida, elderly residents have much to lose from the spending cuts proposed in Washington, D.C.

Medicaid is the primary payer for nursing-home care in Florida — and the only way that two-thirds of nursing-home residents can afford help with daily tasks such as eating, bathing and dressing.

What would happen if Florida no longer had the money to pay for senior care? Would family members need to step in and provide the care, or pay the bill? Would some nursing homes close?

These questions are top of mind in Florida as Congress looks at where to make federal cuts.

Medicaid offers health coverage for people with limited income and resources. Any federal-government cuts to Medicaid could affect about 700,000 seniors in Florida now covered, including those in long-term care facilities, as well as those who may need skilled nursing or home health care in the future.

Most of Florida’s elderly don’t have the means to pay for their care, with the average annual cost of a nursing-home bed ranging from $104,000 to almost $117,000 in 2023, according to KFF, a nonprofit providing health policy research and polling. Some residents start in nursing homes on Medicaid or use it once they have exhausted their private funds.

“Loss of Medicaid coverage poses unique challenges for seniors and people with disabilities, people who are likely to live on fixed incomes, have high health care spending, and rely on Medicaid for coverage of long-term care,” KFF notes in its article, “5 Key Facts about Medicaid Eligibility for Seniors and People with Disabilities.”

While the depth and scope of potential Medicaid cuts are unknown, House Republicans can’t meet their target of $880 billion in savings to pass President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda without making significant cuts to programs like Medicaid. All states rely on federal matching funds to finance their Medicaid programs.

In Florida, the federal government pays for 57% of the cost of traditional Medicaid, and the state pays 43%. If the federal match were decreased, state legislators would have to figure out how to operate their program with less federal funding. The state gets $19.5 billion annually from the federal government for Florida Medicaid, according to a Georgetown University analysis.

For now, questions and uncertainty cloud Medicaid’s future while Florida’s elder-care advocates watch closely for what’s ahead.