Medicaid guide
The iBudget Florida waiver: who qualifies and how to apply
iBudget Florida is the Medicaid waiver run by the Agency for Persons with Disabilities. It pays for support at home and in the community for people with developmental disabilities.
The short answer
Apply on paper to APD's Suncoast Region office in Tampa, which covers Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco. The person must be at least 3 and have a qualifying developmental disability that began before age 18. APD places eligible applicants in one of seven priority categories. Crisis cases are decided within 15 days and offered enrollment first. Most others wait: 15,401 people were on the pre-enrollment list as of August 3, 2026.
Who qualifies
Florida law defines a developmental disability as a disorder or syndrome attributable to intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, autism, spina bifida, Down syndrome, Phelan-McDermid syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome or Tatton-Brown-Rahman syndrome, which appears before age 18 and is a substantial handicap expected to continue indefinitely. Tatton-Brown-Rahman syndrome was added in 2026. Children age 3 to 5 at high risk of a developmental disability may also qualify.
iBudget enrollees must also meet the level of care for an intermediate care facility and be eligible for Medicaid. For 2026, AHCA lists the waiver income limit at $2,982 a month and assets at $2,000 for one person.
How to apply
- Get the form. Use the Application for Services on APD's website, available in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole.
- Gather proof. You need proof of the diagnosis, such as school records, testing or medical records, and proof of Florida residency. If something is missing, APD says it will help you get it.
- Sign and deliver it. A parent or guardian signs for a minor. Mail or hand-deliver it to the office below. APD says faxed copies are returned for an original signature.
- Apply for Medicaid. DCF handles this at 1-866-762-2237.
APD Suncoast Region, Tampa office: 1313 North Tampa Street, Suite 515, Tampa, FL 33602. Phone (800) 615-8720. Serves De Soto, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas and Sarasota counties. If the person is homeless, has life-threatening behaviors, or their caregiver can no longer keep them safe, call right away and say so. Children under 3 go to Early Steps at 1-800-218-0001.
The seven priority categories
| Category | Who | On the list, Aug 3, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | In crisis: for example homeless, a danger to self or others, or the caregiver cannot provide care | Offered enrollment right away |
| 2 | Moving out of the child welfare system | Offered enrollment right away |
| 3 | Intensive needs, including a caregiver who will soon be unable to provide care | 51 |
| 4 | Caregiver is 60 or older with no alternate | 271 |
| 5 | Graduating from secondary school within 12 months | 10 |
| 6 | Age 21 and older, not in categories above | 7,178 |
| 7 | Under 21, not in categories above | 7,891 |
By law APD decides crisis applications within 15 days of a complete application and categories 3 through 7 within 60. In January 2026, APD counted 806 people waiting in Hillsborough, 606 in Pinellas and 357 in Pasco. APD updates these numbers often, so check its site for the current count. If circumstances change, call the regional office and ask for your assigned worker, because a change can move someone to a higher category.
What a Waiver Support Coordinator does
Every iBudget enrollee works with a Waiver Support Coordinator, who writes the person-centered support plan and cost plan with you, helps you find services from every funding source, and checks that services are working. You can change providers at any time.
Services a home care agency can deliver under iBudget
| Service | Who it is for |
|---|---|
| Personal supports: help and training with daily living | Adults 21+ in the family home; 18+ in supported living or their own home |
| Respite | Under 21 living in the family home |
| Life skills development 1 (companion) | Age 21 and older |
| Private duty nursing | Age 21 and older, prescribed, needing continuous nursing |
| Skilled nursing | Prescribed part-time or intermittent visits |
Aster Care serves people on the iBudget waiver in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties. Ask your Waiver Support Coordinator to include us, or contact us first and we will explain what we need.
Children under 21 usually get nursing and personal care through Medicaid home health rather than the waiver. If you want to hire your own workers, including relatives, read about CDC+.
About this page. Aster Care LLC is a private home care agency, not a government agency. Eligibility decisions are made by the state offices named here. This is general information, not legal or benefits advice, and program rules change, so please confirm details with those offices.
Questions families ask
Does my child need to be on Medicaid before applying to APD?
You can apply to APD first. Enrollment in the waiver requires Medicaid eligibility, so contact DCF at 1-866-762-2237 as well.
Is iBudget run by a health plan?
No. AHCA says the waiver is fee for service and is not offered by the health plans that serve other Medicaid enrollees.
What should we do while waiting?
APD keeps a resource directory for people waiting at resourcedirectory.apd.myflorida.com. Children may also qualify for Medicaid home health while on the list.
Sources
- Florida Statutes s. 393.063: Definitions
- Florida Statutes s. 393.065: Application and priority categories
- APD: Applying for Services
- APD: Suncoast Region offices
- APD: Enrollment report, data as of August 3, 2026
- APD: Pre-enrollment numbers by category and county, January 23, 2026
- APD: Pre-enrollment
- AHCA: Developmental Disabilities iBudget Waiver
- AHCA: iBudget Waiver Services Coverage and Limitations Handbook (May 2023)
- AHCA: Working People with Disabilities FAQ (September 1, 2026)