Florida Medicare comparisons
Medigap vs. Medicare Advantage in Florida
Costs, networks, county plan counts, and Florida's Medigap rules: no birthday rule, a 2-month window after group coverage ends, and rights under 65.
Snowbirds: Medicare Advantage vs. Medigap
How each option works if you split the year between Florida and another state.
D-SNP vs. Original Medicare and Florida Medicaid
Your Medicare choices if you also have Florida Medicaid or a Medicare Savings Program.
State Group Insurance vs. individual Medicare plans
The State's secondary plans and group MA-PD plans compared with buying your own Medicare coverage.
How to use these comparisons
- Start with what you already have. If you have State Group Insurance, Florida Medicaid, TRICARE For Life or VA care, read that comparison or guide first, because it can change which Medicare choice makes sense.
- List your doctors, hospitals and drugs. Check whether each one works with the coverage you're considering, including doctors in another state if you live there part of the year.
- Check the deadlines. Medicare's Open Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7, 2026, for 2027 coverage. If your plan is ending, see plans ending in 2027 and Medicare enrollment periods.
- Get help if you want it. To compare plans from the companies they work with, you can request a call from a licensed insurance agent, or see plans for your ZIP code.
For background, see Medicare basics, Medicare Advantage in Florida, Medigap in Florida, snowbirds and Medicare and Florida state retirees and Medicare.
Sources
- Medicare.gov — Compare Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage
- Florida Statutes — s. 627.6741, Medicare supplement open enrollment and issuance
- eCFR — 42 CFR 422.74, disenrollment (6-month absence, visitor/traveler programs)
- Florida Division of State Group Insurance — Frequently asked questions: retirees
- AHCA — Statewide Medicaid Managed Care
- CMS — Medicare Advantage and Part D Landscape files, contract year 2027
Frequently asked questions
What is the main Medicare choice in Florida?
Whether to use Original Medicare, usually with a Medigap policy and a Part D drug plan, or a Medicare Advantage plan. Original Medicare works with any provider in the country that accepts Medicare, while most Medicare Advantage plans use networks. For 2027, CMS lists 297 Medicare Advantage plans open to everyone across Florida, and every county has some.
Can I switch from Medicare Advantage to Medigap later in Florida?
You can apply, but outside your Medigap open enrollment and guaranteed-issue situations, Medigap companies can review your health and turn you down. Florida has no birthday rule or yearly switching right, though it does give you 2 months to buy Medigap without health questions after group health coverage ends.
Which option works better for snowbirds?
Original Medicare with Medigap works the same in every state. A Medicare Advantage plan is tied to one permanent home, usually covers only emergencies and urgent care far from its network, and must disenroll you after more than 6 months away unless it has a visitor or traveler program. Our snowbird comparison explains both.
Should Florida state retirees buy their own Medicare plan?
Check with People First first. The State says a retiree who cancels State Group Insurance or lets it lapse can't re-enroll later as a retiree. Read our State Group Insurance comparison before changing coverage.
Medicare in your Florida county
Plans, local agents and help, county by county: Miami-Dade · Broward · Palm Beach · Hillsborough · Orange · Duval · Pinellas · Lee · Polk · Pasco · Brevard · Volusia · Seminole · Sarasota · Osceola · Manatee · Lake · Marion · Collier · St. Lucie · All 67 counties →
