Florida Medicaid requires every household to go through a renewal, called redetermination, once every 12 months. The Department of Children and Families (DCF) first tries to renew your case automatically using income and household data it already has on file. If that is not possible, DCF mails a renewal packet about 45 days before your coverage end date, and you have to confirm or update your information to keep your benefits active. You can renew online through the MyACCESS portal, by phone, by mail, or in person at a local DCF office. This guide walks through exactly when your renewal happens, how to complete it, what the 2026 income limits are, and what to do if you miss your deadline.
When Does Florida Medicaid Renewal Happen?
DCF is required by federal law to redetermine Medicaid eligibility for most beneficiaries once every 12 months. Your renewal date is tied to when your case was first approved or last renewed, not a fixed calendar date, so your neighbor's renewal month may be completely different from yours even if you both enrolled around the same time.
Florida first attempts what is called an ex parte renewal. DCF checks wage data, Social Security information, and other state records it already has access to, and if that information confirms you still qualify, your coverage renews automatically with no action needed from you. If the state cannot confirm your eligibility this way, or if your situation has changed, it mails you a renewal packet.
You can find your renewal date one of two ways:
- Log into the MyACCESS portal at myaccess.myflfamilies.com and check your case status
- Call the DCF customer call center at 1-866-762-2237 and ask a representative
Watch your mail and your MyACCESS inbox closely once you get within a couple of months of your renewal date. DCF will typically send a follow-up reminder if you have not responded, but do not count on a second notice arriving. If your mailing address is out of date, you may never see the first packet at all, and an outdated address is one of the most common reasons Florida Medicaid renewals fail.
How to Renew Florida Medicaid: Step by Step
Step 1: Confirm Your Contact Information Is Current
Before anything else, log into MyACCESS and make sure DCF has your correct mailing address, phone number, and email. You can also update this by calling the customer call center. If you have moved, changed your phone number, or switched email addresses since you last applied, update it now, not after a packet is already in the mail to the wrong place.
Step 2: Check Whether You Were Renewed Automatically
Before assuming you need to do paperwork, check your MyACCESS account or call DCF to see if your case was already renewed through the ex parte process. If DCF could confirm your eligibility using existing data, you may not need to submit anything at all. Florida does not renew every case this way, so do not assume automatic renewal happened just because you have not heard anything. Check your account directly.
Step 3: Watch for and Open Your Renewal Packet
If DCF cannot renew you automatically, a renewal packet arrives by mail, and a notice also appears in your MyACCESS account, roughly 45 days before your coverage end date. It will ask you to confirm or update:
- Household size and composition
- Monthly income for every household member
- Employment status and employer information
- Assets, if you are in an aged, blind, disabled, or long-term care category
- Any changes in address, marital status, or pregnancy
Step 4: Choose How You Want to Renew
Florida gives you several ways to complete your renewal:
- Online: Log into MyACCESS at myaccess.myflfamilies.com, select the option to renew or complete your redetermination, review each section, and upload supporting documents directly. This is the fastest option.
- By phone: Call the DCF customer call center at 1-866-762-2237 and complete your renewal with a representative.
- By mail: Complete the paper renewal form included in your packet and return it using the enclosed envelope.
- In person: Drop off your renewal paperwork at a local DCF service center.
Step 5: Submit Required Documentation
Depending on your case type, DCF may ask for:
- Recent pay stubs or proof of self-employment income
- Bank statements, required for aged, blind, disabled, or long-term care cases
- Proof of residency
- Documentation of unearned income, such as Social Security, pension, or child support
- For long-term care cases, an updated Qualified Income Trust deposit record or an Intent to Return Home form if either has lapsed
Step 6: Respond Within Your Deadline
Your renewal notice states exactly how long you have to respond, generally at least 30 days from the date on the form. Submitting everything before that date is the single most effective way to avoid a coverage gap.
Step 7: Watch for Your Decision Notice
After you submit your renewal, DCF will mail and post in MyACCESS a notice confirming whether your coverage continues, changes, or ends. Keep this notice. If you disagree with the decision, you have the right to request a fair hearing.
Step 8: Report Changes Within 10 Days
Between renewals, Florida requires you to report certain changes within 10 days of when they happen, including changes in income, household size, address, or pregnancy status. Reporting changes promptly as they occur, rather than waiting for your next renewal, helps prevent both an unexpected coverage termination and an overpayment situation DCF later has to correct.
Florida Medicaid Income Limits for 2026
Florida has not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, so there is no general coverage category for a low-income adult who is not a parent, pregnant, elderly, or disabled. Eligibility, and the income limit that applies at your renewal, depends entirely on which category you fall into. Figures below use the 2026 federal poverty guidelines ($15,960 a year for one person, plus about $5,680 for each additional person).
| Category | Household of 1 | Household of 2 | Household of 3 | Household of 4 |
|---|
| Parents/caretaker relatives (approx. 26-27% FPL) | ~$359/month | ~$487/month | ~$615/month | ~$743/month |
| Pregnant women (196% FPL) | ~$2,608/month | ~$3,537/month | ~$4,463/month | ~$5,391/month |
| Children ages 6-18 (133-138% FPL) | n/a | n/a | n/a | ~$3,517 to $3,649/month |
| Children under 6 (206-211% FPL) | n/a | n/a | n/a | ~$5,583/month |
| Aged, blind, or disabled (SSI-related, ~100% FPL) | ~$1,330/month | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Long-term care / HCBS waivers | ~$2,982/month | n/a | n/a | n/a |
For aged, blind, disabled, and long-term care renewals, Florida also applies a countable asset limit of $2,000 for a single applicant. A bank balance that drifts above that limit between renewals, even briefly, is one of the most common reasons these cases lose coverage at redetermination.
Because Florida never expanded Medicaid, it has no adult expansion group, so the federal rule requiring expansion-state renewals every 6 months instead of once a year does not apply here. Florida Medicaid renewals stay on a 12-month cycle for every category. Florida also has no federal Medicaid work requirement for enrollees, since that rule only attaches to the expansion adult group that Florida does not have.
What Happens If You Miss Your Renewal Deadline
If you do not respond to your renewal packet by the deadline, DCF closes your case for failure to renew. Procedural terminations like this, rather than an actual change in eligibility, are one of the most common reasons Florida Medicaid cases close.
If this happens to you:
- You can ask DCF to reconsider your case using the same renewal information, without filing a brand new application, if you submit it within 90 days of your termination date. This 90-day reconsideration window runs from the date your case closed, not from when you noticed the problem.
- If the 90-day window has passed, you will generally need to submit a new Medicaid application rather than a renewal.
- You can request a fair hearing if you disagree with the decision, generally within 90 days of the notice date. If you request the hearing before your termination's effective date, Florida generally has to keep your benefits active while the appeal is pending.
Act quickly. The longer you wait after a termination, the more likely you are to miss the reconsideration window and need to start over with a full new application.
Renewing for Different Florida Medicaid Categories
Renewal does not look the same for every case type.
- Children (Medicaid for children and Florida KidCare): Renewals still happen every 12 months, but documentation can be lighter if DCF can verify income electronically through state data matches during the ex parte process.
- Pregnant women: Coverage during pregnancy and for 12 months postpartum is generally protected regardless of income changes during that window, but you still have to respond to any renewal request DCF sends you.
- Aged, blind, and disabled, including long-term care: These renewals require the most documentation, including bank statements and asset verification. Long-term care cases also need a current Qualified Income Trust deposit and, if applicable, a valid Intent to Return Home designation, since an expired one is a common cause of termination.
- Parents and caretaker relatives: Because the income limit sits around 27% of the federal poverty level, one of the lowest thresholds in the country, even a small income increase can affect eligibility at renewal. Review your packet carefully and report income changes as they happen rather than waiting.
Where to Get Help With Your Renewal
- MyACCESS portal: myaccess.myflfamilies.com, for checking case status, updating contact information, and submitting renewal documents
- DCF customer call center: 1-866-762-2237
- Local DCF service center: For in-person drop-off of renewal paperwork
- Elder Helpline: 1-800-963-5337, for long-term care and aged/disabled renewal questions
- SHINE: 1-800-963-5337, free counseling for anyone navigating Medicare and Medicaid together
- Choice Counseling: 1-877-711-3662, if your renewal affects your managed care plan assignment
If your Medicaid is ending or you are unsure whether you still qualify under Florida's income limits, it also helps to check what other assistance you may qualify for, including SNAP food assistance, LIHEAP heating help, or a subsidized ACA marketplace plan if your income has changed. Learn more about assistance programs available statewide on our Florida benefits page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often do I need to renew Florida Medicaid?
DCF redetermines eligibility once every 12 months for most beneficiaries. Your specific renewal date is tied to your original approval or last renewal date, not a fixed calendar date.
How do I find my Florida Medicaid renewal date?
Log into MyACCESS at myaccess.myflfamilies.com to check your case status, or call the DCF customer call center at 1-866-762-2237 and ask a representative.
Can I renew my Florida Medicaid online?
Yes. You can complete your renewal through the MyACCESS portal, which also lets you upload supporting documents instead of mailing them in.
What happens if I miss my Florida Medicaid renewal deadline?
Your case generally closes for failure to renew. You can ask DCF to reconsider your case without a new application if you respond within 90 days of the termination date. After that, you will likely need to file a new application.
What documents do I need to renew Florida Medicaid?
Most renewals require proof of income, such as recent pay stubs, and household composition details. Aged, blind, disabled, or long-term care cases also need bank statements and other asset verification.
Does my income need to stay below a certain amount to keep Florida Medicaid?
Yes, and the limit depends on your category. Parents and caretaker relatives face one of the lowest thresholds in the country at around 27% of the federal poverty level, while children, pregnant women, and aged, blind, or disabled categories use higher, separate thresholds.
Does Florida Medicaid require renewal every 6 months now?
No. The federal rule requiring renewals every 6 months applies only to the Medicaid expansion adult group. Florida has not expanded Medicaid and has no expansion group, so every Florida Medicaid category stays on a 12-month renewal cycle.
Who do I call if I have questions about my Florida Medicaid renewal?
Call the DCF customer call center at 1-866-762-2237. For long-term care or aged/disabled renewal questions, you can also call the Elder Helpline at 1-800-963-5337.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change. Verify current requirements with the Florida Department of Children and Families before making decisions about your coverage.
