• Families with children are eligible to received Medicaid in Florida if they meet certain criteria.children image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
  
  The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) administers Medicaid services in Florida. The AHCA staff plans and creates policy for Medicaid services rendered in Florida. Medicaid eligibility is decided by the Department of Children and Families (DCF) which reviews and determines the eligibility for low income families. Families eligible for DCF are people with children, pregnant women, elderly or disabled people who do not receive Supplemental Security Income.
  
  

Income and Assets

• Under DCF, Florida Medicaid eligibility is determined through the applicant's income and assets. The applicant must earn less than $2,022 a month, and have less than $2,000 in assets. However, the applicant can have assets up to $5,000 so long as the gross income per month does not exceed $808. If the applicant has a spouse, the spouse's income does not matter, but their assets must be less than $109,560, including the value of a home.
  
  

Families with Children

• If the applicant and children meet the income requirements under DCF guidelines and receive Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA), they are eligible to receive Medicaid. Even if the family does not receive TCA, they may be provided Medicaid services if they choose not to use TCA. If the family begins to earn more than the $2,000 limit per month or begins collecting alimony or child support, Medicaid may still be provided for a certain period of time.
  
  

Pregnancy

• There are several types of ways of apply for DCF if pregnant.mama image by caironbohemio from Fotolia.com
  
  DCF allows pregnant women to receive Florida Medicaid under various programs such as the Presumptively Eligible Pregnant Women (PEPW) program or the Simplified Eligibility for Pregnant Women (SEPW) program depending on the type of Medicaid coverage the applicant needs. The PEPW is temporary Medicaid coverage which covers prenatal care. The SEPW is full coverage Medicaid provided to pregnant women which may be extended for a longer period of time.