Florida SMMC 3.0 Managed Care Plans: Regions, Providers, and How to Choose

On February 1, 2025, Florida launched SMMC 3.0 — the third cycle of Statewide Medicaid Managed Care contracts that will run through 2030. The biggest structural change: the state consolidated from 11 numbered regions to 9 lettered regions (A through I), reshuffling which managed care plans serve which counties.

If you're helping a parent navigate the SMMC Long-Term Care program, the plan you choose determines which home health agencies, adult day care centers, and home modification vendors are in-network — and it directly affects how many hours of weekly care your parent receives.

The 9 SMMC 3.0 Regions

Here's how the realigned regions map to Florida's counties and which Long-Term Care plans are authorized in each:

Region A — Western Panhandle and Big Bend. Bay, Escambia, Leon, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and 13 surrounding Panhandle counties. LTC plans: Humana, Sunshine Health, Simply Healthcare, Florida Community Care (FCC).

Region B — North-Central and Northeast. Alachua, Duval, Marion, St. Johns, Volusia, and surrounding counties. LTC plans: Humana, Sunshine Health, Simply Healthcare, FCC, UnitedHealthcare.

Region C — Tampa Bay Coast. Pasco and Pinellas counties. LTC plans: Humana, Sunshine Health, Simply Healthcare, FCC.

Region D — Tampa Bay and Polk. Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Manatee, and Polk. LTC plans: Humana, Sunshine Health, Simply Healthcare, FCC, Aetna, UnitedHealthcare.

Region E — Greater Orlando. Brevard, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole. LTC plans: Humana, Sunshine Health, Simply Healthcare, FCC, Aetna.

Region F — Southwest Florida. Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hendry, Lee, and Sarasota. LTC plans: Humana, Sunshine Health, Simply Healthcare, FCC.

Region G — Treasure Coast and Palm Beach. Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach, and St. Lucie. LTC plans: Humana, Sunshine Health, Simply Healthcare, FCC.

Region H — Broward. Broward County only. LTC plans: Humana, Sunshine Health, Simply Healthcare, FCC.

Region I — Miami-Dade and Monroe. LTC plans: Humana, Sunshine Health, Simply Healthcare, FCC, Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Molina Healthcare — the most options of any region.

If you've been working from older resources that reference "Region 10" (Broward) or "Region 11" (Miami-Dade/Monroe), those designations are obsolete under the 3.0 contracts.

How Plan Selection Works

When a Medicaid applicant is approved for SMMC LTC enrollment, they receive a plan selection packet and have 30 days to choose a managed care plan. If they don't choose, the state auto-assigns one — and auto-assignment rarely lands you with the best fit.

To make an active selection, call the SMMC Choice Counselor at 1-877-711-3662. The counselor can explain which plans operate in your parent's region and help compare provider networks.

What to Compare When Choosing a Plan

Most families focus on the plan's brand name. That's the wrong filter. Here's what actually matters:

Provider network depth. Ask each plan for its current directory of home health agencies and nurse registries in your parent's county. If your parent already receives care from a specific agency, confirm that agency is in-network. Switching plans later is possible but disruptive.

Participant-Directed Option (PDO) support. If your family wants to hire a relative as a paid caregiver through the PDO program, verify the plan contracts with a fiscal management service (FMS) company that serves your county. Not every plan's FMS has the same onboarding timeline or responsiveness.

Care manager caseload. Each SMMC LTC member is assigned a care manager who conducts home assessments and writes the Plan of Care. Plans with smaller caseloads per care manager typically provide more responsive service. Ask the Choice Counselor or the plan directly about average caseload size in your region.

Covered ancillary services. All SMMC LTC plans cover core home health aide hours, but they vary in coverage of personal emergency response systems (PERS), home modifications (grab bars, ramps, widened doorways), medical equipment, and adult day health care. Ask specifically about each service your parent needs.

Grievance and appeals track record. Florida publishes SMMC plan report cards through AHCA. Check complaint rates and member satisfaction scores at FloridaHealthFinder before choosing.

Switching Plans After Enrollment

SMMC LTC members can switch plans during the first 120 days after initial enrollment without cause. After that window, they can switch once per year during open enrollment or at any time "for cause" — which includes situations like the current plan dropping a needed provider from its network, the assigned care manager being unresponsive, or a documented service failure.

To request a switch, call the Choice Counselor at 1-877-711-3662. The transition takes effect on the first day of the following month. During the transition, coordinate with both the old and new plans to ensure no gap in authorized home care hours.

The Bigger Picture

Choosing the right SMMC LTC plan is one step in a multi-phase process that starts with the CARES clinical assessment, runs through the Medicaid financial application, and ends with an active Plan of Care that keeps your parent safely at home.

The Florida Home Care Navigation Guide maps the entire sequence — from the initial Elder Helpline call through SMMC enrollment and plan selection — with region-by-region provider directories and step-by-step checklists for each phase.

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