Where Low-Income Seniors Can Use OSS for Assisted Living in Volusia and Flagler

What is OSS and who is it for?

Optional State Supplementation (OSS) is a monthly payment from the Florida Department of Children and Families that helps eligible low-income residents of assisted living facilities and adult family care homes pay for room and board. It is governed by rule 65A-2.036 and is separate from Medicaid, although the two are often used together.

DCF calculates the payment by adding the facility's base provider rate to a $160 personal needs allowance and subtracting the resident's countable income. The difference is the OSS payment. Because facilities accept the provider rate for these residents, they usually limit how many OSS beds they offer.

Which local ALFs report OSS beds?

Source: AHCA FloridaHealthFinder profiles, retrieved November 6, 2026. A reported OSS bed count is not a promise of an opening.

Ocean View Manor in Daytona Beach and Alba Court Residences in New Smyrna Beach account for most of the OSS capacity. Many of the others report a handful of beds.

Why does the LMH license show up so often?

Florida requires a limited mental health license of any ALF that serves even one resident with a serious mental illness who receives OSS. Locally, 8 ALFs hold an LMH license, and several of them also report OSS beds. These buildings often serve a mix of older adults and younger adults with mental illness, which suits some residents and not others.

Ask any OSS facility who its residents are, what activities fit your parent, and how the building handles residents with very different needs.

How do OSS and Medicaid work together?

OSS pays toward room and board; a Florida Medicaid long-term care plan pays for assisted living services such as personal care and medication help. A resident who qualifies for both can live in an ALF that accepts both, with the resident's own income going to the facility first, minus the personal needs allowance.

52 local ALFs list Medicaid services on their AHCA profiles, but listing a service does not mean a bed is open or that the facility contracts with every plan. Ask both questions directly, and get answers in writing.

What if no OSS bed is open?

OSS beds fill quickly and turn over slowly, so families often hear that no bed is available. There are a few options. Ask to be placed on the facility's waiting list and check back regularly; openings come without much warning. Look at adult family care homes, which can also accept OSS residents and are numerous in Palm Coast. Consider whether a Medicaid long-term care plan could pay for enough help at home to bridge the gap until a bed opens.

It also helps to have the DCF paperwork moving before a bed appears. A facility deciding between two applicants for an OSS bed will usually choose the one whose eligibility is already confirmed. ElderSource and the facility's admissions staff can tell you which documents to gather: proof of income, bank statements, identification and the physician's examination form.

Finally, remember that OSS amounts and eligibility standards change from time to time. Confirm current figures with DCF or ElderSource before making a decision that depends on them, and keep copies of every letter DCF sends, because notices about changes often arrive with short deadlines.

How do we apply?

Apply for OSS through DCF's ACCESS Florida system, naming the facility where the person lives or will live. ElderSource (1-888-242-4464) handles Medicaid long-term care screening and can explain the order of steps. A facility that takes OSS residents usually knows the paperwork well and can help.

See our pages on OSS and Medicaid long-term care.