Can a Family Member Be Your Paid Caregiver in Florida? PDO Rules Explained

If you’re in Miami and wondering whether Florida Medicaid will pay a family member to provide home care — the way Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Texas do — the answer is: it’s possible, but the rules are tighter. Florida’s Participant-Directed Option (PDO) allows SMMC LTC members to hire their own caregivers, but the program comes with a restriction that doesn’t exist in most other states.

What the PDO Allows

Under the Participant-Directed Option within SMMC LTC, the Medicaid member can choose andhire their own caregiver rather than receiving services through a home care agency. The memberdirects the care — choosing the person, setting the schedule, and managing the daily tasks. Afiscal intermediary handles payroll, taxes, and compliance.

This structure is conceptually similar to Participant-Directed Services in Pennsylvania or Consumer Directed Services in Texas.

The Florida Restriction

Here’s the key difference:Florida Medicaid generally does not allow individuals living in thesame household as the care recipient to serve as paid caregivers.
This is a stricter rule thanPennsylvania (where living together is fine) or Michigan (where even spouses can be paid).

In practical terms, if your mother lives with you and you want to be her paid caregiver throughPDO, the same-household restriction may prevent it. However, a family member who livesseparately — a daughter in Hialeah caring for her mother in Kendall, for example — may be able toserve as the PDO caregiver.

The specific application of this rule can vary based on the SMMC LTC plan’s policies andindividual circumstances. If your family’s situation involves a caregiver who lives nearby but notin the same home, discuss PDO eligibility with the plan’s case manager.

Why CareChoice Leads with Agency Care in Miami

Given Florida’s stricter PDO rules around same-household caregivers, CareChoice’s primaryapproach in Miami is agency-directed care— our trained staff provides the home care servicesdirectly. This avoids the PDO restrictions and ensures your loved one receives consistent, reliablecare without navigating the same-household question.

We do accept PDO arrangements for families where the setup qualifies — particularly when thecaregiver lives separately from the care recipient. But for most Miami families, agency care is thesimpler, faster path to services.

The Language That Works in Florida

In our other markets, we tell families: “We pay your family.” In Florida, the message is different but equally powerful: CareChoice sends someone you know and trust into the home — a caregiver who speaks your language, understands your culture, and provides the personal, dignified careyour family member deserves.

Whether through our agency staff or through a qualifying PDO arrangement, the goal is the same:your loved one stays home, receives excellent care, and maintains their quality of life.

Contact CareChoice →Miami team

Written by Shamere Dunswell, Community Relations Manager | CareChoice