To apply for Florida Medicaid, you file Form CF-ES 2337, the ACCESS Florida Application for Benefits. The same form covers Medicaid, food assistance, and cash assistance in a single packet. You can submit it online through the MyACCESS portal at myaccess.myflfamilies.com or on paper to the Department of Children and Families (DCF).1eLaws. Ref-11698 CF-ES 2337 ACCESS Florida Application What determines how fast your case moves is less the form itself than the documents you attach to it.
Who Uses This Form
Form CF-ES 2337 is the application for nearly all non-long-term-care Medicaid categories: children, pregnant women, parents and caretaker relatives, and most elderly or disabled applicants who aren’t already on SSI. Florida has not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, so working-age adults without children or a qualifying disability generally do not qualify regardless of income.
If you already receive Supplemental Security Income, you do not file this form. SSI recipients qualify for Florida Medicaid automatically, and coverage begins when SSI payments start.2Florida Department of Children and Families. SSI-Related Medicaid Fact Sheet
Income limits depend on which category you fall into. Using the 2026 federal poverty level of $15,960 for a single person and $27,320 for a family of three,3HHS ASPE. 2026 Poverty Guidelines the thresholds in DCF’s current income-limit chart are:4Florida Department of Children and Families. Appendix A-7 Family-Related Medicaid Income Limit Chart
- Infants under age 1: up to 200% of the federal poverty level.
- Pregnant women: up to 185%.
- Children ages 1 through 18: roughly 133%.
- Parents and caretaker relatives: around $486 per month for a household of three.
Elderly and disabled applicants have separate income and asset tests administered under different rules.
What the Form Asks For
CF-ES 2337 collects personal information for every household member seeking coverage: full legal name, date of birth, Social Security Number, and citizenship or immigration status. For non-citizens, DCF verifies status with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.5Florida Department of Children and Families. Application for Benefits – Form CF-ES 2337
You also list household composition, including anyone who lives with you but isn’t applying (they go down as non-applicants), and you report all household income. The form includes screening questions for financial emergencies, such as whether your gross income is below $150 or whether your income recently stopped entirely.5Florida Department of Children and Families. Application for Benefits – Form CF-ES 2337
At a minimum, DCF only needs your name, address, and signature to open your case. That matters: an incomplete form filed today establishes an earlier filing date than a complete form filed next week, and Florida does not provide retroactive coverage for most adults. Submit what you have, then send the rest.
Documents to Submit With the Form
Missing paperwork is the single most common reason an application stalls. Gather these before you sit down to file.
Identity, Citizenship, and Residency
You need proof of who you are, your citizenship or immigration status, and that you live in Florida. A government-issued photo ID, birth certificate, or U.S. passport works for identity. For Florida residency, use a current utility bill, lease agreement, or voter registration card. Non-citizens attach their immigration documents.
Income
Recent pay stubs are the standard proof for wage earners. If you receive Social Security benefits, include a benefit verification letter. Self-employed applicants should have tax returns or 1099 forms ready. The goal is to account for every dollar of household income, because eligibility turns on whether that income falls within the limit for your category.
Assets
Asset documentation matters for applicants being evaluated under SSI-related rules, which impose both an income and an asset test. For standard family-related Medicaid, assets are generally not the issue; for long-term care Medicaid, they’re central (see below).
Disability
If you’re applying based on disability, attach either an official Social Security Administration disability determination or medical records from your physician documenting the condition. Disability-based applications take longer to process.
How to Submit
Roughly 92% of Florida Medicaid applications and renewals come in through the MyACCESS portal.6Department of Children and Families. Florida’s Medicaid Redetermination Plan You can complete CF-ES 2337 online and upload scanned supporting documents directly to your account. The portal also lets you upload documents for a pending application without creating a full account.7MyACCESS. MyACCESS Home
Paper filing is still available. You can mail or fax the completed form and attachments to DCF, hand-deliver them to a local DCF customer service center, or file through a community partner site. The DCF website and customer call center have the current mailing address and fax number for your area.
Letting Someone Else Handle the Paperwork
Federal regulations require every state Medicaid agency to let applicants designate an authorized representative.8eCFR. 42 CFR 435.923 – Authorized Representatives In Florida, you do this through DCF’s authorized representative designation form.9Florida Department of Children and Families. Authorized Representative Designation for Public Assistance It requires the applicant’s signature and remains in effect until revoked. A court-appointed guardian or someone holding power of attorney can also serve in this role. Once designated, the representative can sign the application, submit renewals, and receive all notices from DCF.
After You File: Timing and Coverage Start Date
Federal law caps DCF’s decision timeline. For most applicants, the agency must determine eligibility within 45 calendar days. For disability-based applications, the window is 90 days.10eCFR. 42 CFR 435.912 – Timely Determination of Eligibility The clock runs faster when you respond quickly to any request for additional information.
If you’re approved, coverage starts on the first day of the month DCF receives your application. Florida eliminated retroactive Medicaid coverage for adults 21 and older, so medical bills from before your filing month generally will not be paid. The exceptions are pregnant women and children under 21, who can still receive up to three months of retroactive eligibility before the application month.11Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Medicaid Retroactive Eligibility For everyone else, every day you wait is a day of coverage you can’t get back.
If you need care immediately, ask the hospital’s financial counseling office about presumptive eligibility. Qualified hospitals enrolled in Florida Medicaid can make presumptive determinations for pregnant women, children under 19, parents and caretaker relatives, and former foster care children.12Legal Information Institute. Florida Statute 59G-1.058 – Eligibility That gives temporary coverage while the full application is pending.
Long-Term Care Applications Add a Five-Year Look-Back
If the application is for nursing home or assisted-living level care, you use the same CF-ES 2337 but face a much heavier documentation burden. Long-term care Medicaid has both income and asset limits, and DCF examines five full years of financial history: bank statements, investment accounts, property deeds, and any transfers of money or assets.
Gifts or transfers made for less than fair value during that look-back period trigger a penalty period of ineligibility. The length is calculated by dividing the total value transferred by the average monthly cost of private-pay nursing home care at the time of application. The penalty clock only starts once you’ve applied and would otherwise be eligible, which creates a gap where care is needed but Medicaid won’t pay. Families in this situation often consult an elder law attorney before filing, and start pulling bank statements well in advance.