SpectrumBeaconThe wrong door keeps getting named
You will hear it in Facebook groups. Apply for Katie Beckett. It ignores parent income. In many states that advice is right. In Florida it points at a door that does not exist.
The record, receipted
Florida has not adopted the Katie Beckett (TEFRA) option. A Florida family cannot use it to qualify a disabled child for Medicaid regardless of parent income. The nearest substitute is the iBudget waiver, which waives parental income but carries a waitlist of more than 23,000 people.
VerifiedSource: Kids' Waivers state list · How we verify
Katie Beckett is not iBudget
Katie Beckett, also called the TEFRA option, is a federal Medicaid state-plan choice from 1982. A state that adopts it can cover a disabled child based only on the child's own income and resources. Parent income is ignored. A true TEFRA state-plan program cannot use a waiting list. Every child who meets the state's rules must be covered.
Why people confuse the two
A state using the true TEFRA state plan option cannot cap enrollment, so there are no waiting lists. That is the key difference from an HCBS waiver, which can cap slots and have a years-long waitlist.
VerifiedSource: Council of State Governments research memo on Katie Beckett Medicaid programs, Sept 27, 2024 · How we verify
Florida's iBudget waiver is a different program. It is Florida's main long-term home and community services waiver for people with developmental disabilities. The Agency for Persons with Disabilities runs it. iBudget can ignore parent income once a person is enrolled. It also has a waitlist. Those two facts are why people mash the names together. They are still not the same door.
| Program | What it is | Parent income | Waitlist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Katie Beckett / TEFRA | Federal state-plan option some states adopted | Ignored | Not allowed on a true state-plan option |
| Florida iBudget | Florida HCBS waiver, run by APD | Waived once enrolled | More than 23,000 people. Waits of 10 or more years are common. |
| Regular Medicaid / KidCare | Standard Florida coverage tracks | Counted | Not a waiver waitlist |
Table facts from the Florida Medicaid pathways note, the iBudget application note, and the federal TEFRA note. Verified .
Florida never adopted TEFRA
Many states use Katie Beckett so a middle-income family can get Medicaid for a disabled child without passing a parent income test. Florida did not take that option. There is no Florida Katie Beckett application. There is no Florida Katie Beckett waitlist, because the program is not here.
The iBudget line, plainly
More than 23,000 people are waiting for the iBudget waiver, and waits of 10 or more years are common. A young child who is not in crisis typically lands in Category 7, the lowest of the seven priority categories.
VerifiedSource: APD Applying for Services and pre-enrollment priority categories (s. 393.065(5), F.S.) · How we verify
Join that line anyway. Enrollment is also what unlocks later services such as funded respite. If circumstances change, contact your APD regional office and ask for a category review. The Florida iBudget section has the seven categories and the application steps.
The doors that do exist
If your income fits, apply for regular Medicaid or a KidCare track. If it does not, get on the iBudget waitlist today. The line is long. Joining is still the move. Also check SSI. Income deeming stops at age 18 even if your family earns too much now.
- Under 3 with a delay or autism: Early Steps. An autism diagnosis auto-qualifies a child for Early Steps.
- Any age, if income qualifies: regular Medicaid or a KidCare track, including the CMS Health Plan for special health care needs.
- Income too high for regular Medicaid: SSI, if you are under the deeming limit, or the iBudget waiver. Katie Beckett is not available in Florida.
Early Steps auto-qualify
An autism diagnosis auto-qualifies a child for Early Steps, Florida's early intervention system for children from birth to 36 months.
VerifiedSource: Florida Early Steps · How we verify
The SSI deeming caution
For a child under 18 living at home, SSA deems part of parental income to the child. As a rough guide, a family of 4 with earned income above roughly $43,000 a year often exceeds the SSI child deeming limit. This is an approximation, not a hard cutoff. The exact threshold depends on household facts and the current-year SSI figures.
Not yet verified as of . Treat this as unconfirmed. What this meansSource: Florida Medicaid eligibility pathways note, pointing families to SSA · How we verify
The national picture, including which states did adopt TEFRA, is on the federal TEFRA / Katie Beckett page. Confirm your own state with the state Medicaid agency before treating any list as final.
Common questions
Does Florida have Katie Beckett Medicaid?
No. Florida has not adopted the Katie Beckett (TEFRA) option. A Florida family cannot use it to qualify a disabled child for Medicaid regardless of parent income. The nearest substitute is the iBudget waiver, which waives parental income but carries a waitlist of more than 23,000 people.
Florida Medicaid eligibility pathways note; APD Applying for Services. Verified .
Is Katie Beckett the same as the iBudget waiver?
No. Katie Beckett is a federal Medicaid state-plan option some states adopted. iBudget is Florida's HCBS waiver, run by APD, with a waitlist. People mash the names because both can ignore parent income. They are still different doors.
Federal TEFRA note and APD Applying for Services. Verified .
What should I do if our income is too high for regular Medicaid in Florida?
Check SSI if you may be under the deeming limit, and join the iBudget waitlist even though the line is long. Katie Beckett is not available in Florida. Confirm current SSI figures with SSA before relying on any dollar cutoff.
Florida Medicaid eligibility pathways. Verified .
If we move to Florida from a Katie Beckett state, does the coverage come with us?
No. Florida has not adopted the option, so there is no Florida Katie Beckett application to transfer. Use the Florida doors that exist: regular Medicaid or KidCare if income fits, SSI if deeming allows, and the iBudget waitlist.
Florida Medicaid eligibility pathways. Verified .
What this page is not
- It is not medical advice.Eligibility turns on the child's records and the agency's rules, not on anything written here.
- It is not legal advice. For a denial or a dispute, a benefits advocate or attorney is the right help.
- It is not a promise of coverage or money. Programs change. Confirm current rules with AHCA, APD, KidCare, or SSA before you plan around them.
Sources
- APD, Applying for Services: iBudget waitlist size, wait times, and how to apply
- APD pre-enrollment priority categories (s. 393.065(5), F.S.)
- Florida Early Steps: autism auto-qualifies
- Council of State Governments research memo, Sept 27, 2024: what TEFRA is, and why a true state-plan option cannot waitlist
- Kids' Waivers state list