Florida State Veterans' Nursing Home Care
Skilled nursing care at one of eight state veterans' homes. A resident rated 70% or more pays nothing out of pocket.
Verified August 18, 2026
What this benefit is
Florida operates eight skilled nursing homes for veterans, at Daytona Beach, Orlando, Land O'Lakes, Pembroke Pines, Panama City, Port Charlotte, Port St. Lucie and St. Augustine.
What you pay is means-tested rather than fixed. A resident whose income exceeds $160 a month contributes to their own maintenance, up to the full cost where they can fund it.
What it's worth: Up to the full cost of nursing care — no out-of-pocket cost at a 70% rating or above
- House staff analysis of HB 725 (2024) reports charges ranging from an average $98.63 a day for a limited-income resident to $358.93 a day for a self-paying one.
- A resident veteran rated between 70 and 100 percent has no out-of-pocket cost, because the VA per diem for that group is $474.45 a day against $129.97 for basic care.
- Spouses, surviving spouses and Gold Star parents admitted as non-veteran residents pay the full private rate.
Who is entitled to it
- A veteran who needs nursing care and was a Florida resident at the time of application.
- Since 1 July 2024, also a spouse or surviving spouse — placed last in the priority order so veterans keep precedence.
- The VA must have approved you as eligible for care and treatment. That is a precondition, not a formality.
Not sure whether that describes you?
Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.
The thing most people get wrong
At 70% or above, it costs you nothing
The House staff analysis of the 2024 admissions bill puts resident charges between an average $98.63 a day for someone with limited income and $358.93 a day for a self-paying resident. But a resident veteran rated between 70 and 100 percent has no out-of-pocket cost at all, because the VA per diem for that group is $474.45 a day against $129.97 for basic care. The rating does not change your place in the queue — it changes whether the bill reaches you.
How to claim it
- 1Confirm the VA has approved you as eligible for care and treatment — §296.36(1)(e) makes that a precondition, not a formality.
- 2Apply for all financial assistance reasonably available through government sources first. §296.36(1)(d) requires it before admission.
- 3Submit the application packet to FDVA with your discharge and the certification of need.
- File with
- The Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs
- Documents you will need
- dd214 · va eligibility determination · physician certification of need
- No renewal needed
Common mistakes that cost people this benefit
- Not applying for other government assistance first. §296.36(1)(d) makes having applied a condition of admission, so skipping it delays you.
- Assuming wartime service is required. It is not for nursing homes; it affects priority at the domiciliary home.
- Treating the state homes as interchangeable with a VA community living centre. These are state facilities under chapter 296 with their own eligibility and their own waiting lists.
Questions people ask
- Can my spouse be admitted with me?
- Since 1 July 2024, yes. Chapter 2024-102 opened admission to spouses and surviving spouses. They sit last in the priority order, and a non-veteran resident is charged the private rate — federal law also requires at least 75% of a home's residents to be veterans for the VA per diem to keep flowing.
- How long is the wait?
- We do not hold current waiting times or bed availability by home, and they are the two facts that decide whether this is usable this year. Ask FDVA directly, and ask per home rather than in general.
Sources
- authority · statuteFla. Stat. ch. 296, part II (§§296.32, 296.36, 296.37)
- operating · legislative analysisFlorida House of Representatives Staff Analysis, HB 725 (2024)
This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.