If you are weighing PPEC and private duty nursing, you are choosing between two settings for skilled care. One brings a licensed nurse into the home. The other brings the child to a center built around nurses and therapists, with other children nearby. For eligible children, Florida Medicaid covers PPEC with a doctor's prescription. Private duty nursing has its own coverage requirements. The decision comes down to the child's medical needs and the setting that fits the family.
What Each Option Is
PPEC stands for Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care. It is a medical daycare licensed and regulated by Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration, where children from birth through age 20 can receive skilled nursing care for up to 12 hours a day. Care may include trach and ventilator management, tube feedings, seizure protocols, and medication administration. Children can also take part in therapies and learning through play. Our guide to what a PPEC is explains the model.
Private duty nursing sends one licensed nurse, an RN or LPN, to the home for a prescribed number of hours. The child stays in a familiar environment and receives one-on-one attention.
Both require a physician's prescription and Florida Medicaid approval. PPEC approval is renewed every 180 days.
PPEC and Private Duty Nursing Side by Side
Setting
- PPEC: An AHCA-licensed pediatric center, such as our Hollywood facility
- Private duty nursing: The child's home
Care team
- PPEC: A team of pediatric nurses, with on-site therapists and a physician on call
- Private duty nursing: One nurse per shift
Skilled nursing
- PPEC: Skilled tasks provided by the center's nursing team
- Private duty nursing: Skilled tasks provided one on one in the home
Therapies
- PPEC: Therapy providers can work on site. Physical and occupational therapy, along with speech therapy, are separate services with their own prescriptions and approval steps.
- Private duty nursing: Therapy is arranged separately through home health or outside clinics.
Social time
- PPEC: Time with other children, art, music, educational activities, and recreation
- Private duty nursing: Time at home with family and visitors
Hours
- PPEC: Center-based care for up to 12 hours per day when authorized
- Private duty nursing: Hours as prescribed, which can include evenings and nights as well as weekends
Transportation
- PPEC: Transportation is not part of the PPEC benefit. For children with Medicaid, the ride comes through Florida Medicaid's non-emergency transportation, and PPEC covers an escort for the trip.
- Private duty nursing: The nurse comes to the home.
When Private Duty Nursing May Fit Better
Home nursing may fit when:
- The child needs overnight care or coverage outside the center's hours.
- The child is medically unstable or newly home after surgery.
- The doctor has ordered strict infection precautions.
- The care plan is built around the home environment.
If the child's physician recommends home nursing, follow that guidance. The care plan can be reviewed as the child's needs change.
When a PPEC May Fit Better
A PPEC may fit a child who is stable enough to attend a center and would benefit from:
- Therapy providers working in the same location as the nursing team
- Time with other children through music, art, learning, and play
- A team-based setting that is not dependent on one nurse's availability
- Center-based care for the hours authorized by Florida Medicaid
PPEC serves children from birth through age 20 with conditions such as trach and ventilator dependence, feeding tubes, seizure disorders, cerebral palsy, cardiac conditions, and complications of prematurity. Our Who Qualifies page explains the criteria.
Using PPEC and Private Duty Nursing Together
Florida Medicaid may authorize PPEC and private duty nursing for different hours based on the child's documented medical needs. For example, a child may attend a PPEC during the day and receive private duty nursing at home during other authorized hours.
The child's physician and Florida Medicaid determine what is medically necessary and authorized. Bring any current authorization to a tour so the team can discuss how PPEC could fit with the existing care plan.
How to Get Started at Peek A Boo PPEC
Peek A Boo Pediatric Care is at 7777 Davie Road Extension, Suite #100A in Hollywood, near Davie and Pembroke Pines. Our staff speaks English and Spanish.
- Reach out by calling (954) 932-3600 or using the contact form.
- Verify Florida Medicaid eligibility.
- Get a physician's prescription for PPEC.
- Complete the approval process. Approval is renewed every 180 days.
- Tour the center, meet the nurses, and ask which setting fits the child's needs.
Ask us how the ride to and from the center works for your child.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my child receive PPEC and private duty nursing at the same time?
Florida Medicaid may authorize both for different hours when each service is medically necessary. Both must be prescribed by the child's physician and approved by Florida Medicaid.
How are PPEC and private duty nursing covered?
For eligible children, Florida Medicaid covers PPEC with a doctor's prescription. Private duty nursing also requires documented medical need, a physician's prescription, and Florida Medicaid approval.
Which is better for a baby just coming home from the NICU?
It depends on the baby's stability and the discharge team's recommendation. Some NICU graduates start with home nursing, while others may attend a PPEC. Ask the discharge team about both options.
Do I need a doctor's prescription for PPEC?
Yes. PPEC requires a prescription from the child's physician and Florida Medicaid approval. Approval is renewed every 180 days.
Can a PPEC handle a trach, ventilator, G-tube, or seizure disorder?
PPEC centers are licensed to care for children with complex medical needs. At Peek A Boo, licensed pediatric nurses provide trach and ventilator care, tube feedings, seizure protocols, and medication administration according to each child's care plan.
Come Visit the Center
Walk through our Hollywood center, meet the nurses and therapists, and ask how PPEC would fit the child's care plan.
This article is for general information and is not medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.