Editorial standards

Who writes and reviews this site

FloridaMedicare.org is published by Benefits Life, a licensed insurance agency and Medicare third-party marketing organization based in Denver, Colorado. Pages are written and reviewed by the Benefits Life Editorial Team, whose members are licensed insurance agents. Each page says "Reviewed by Benefits Life Editorial Team" with the review date. Team members are listed on the About page with their National Producer Numbers; you can check a Florida insurance license on the Department of Financial Services' Licensee Search.

Official sources first

• Federal rules and data: CMS, Medicare.gov, Social Security, the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), plus CMS data files such as the plan Landscape files and monthly enrollment reports.
• Florida law: the Florida Statutes from the Florida Legislature and the Florida Administrative Code. We say clearly when something is a bill and not yet law.
• Florida agencies: the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) for Medigap policy forms and rates; the Department of Financial Services (DFS) for insurance complaints, agent licensing and insurance fraud; the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) for Florida Medicaid, Statewide Medicaid Managed Care, D-SNP contracts, PACE and health facility complaints; and the Department of Children and Families (DCF) for Medicaid and Medicare Savings Program eligibility, including its eligibility policy manual and income standards.
• Retiree coverage: the Division of State Group Insurance and the Florida Retirement System, from their own published pages. We describe how their coverage works with Medicare and link to their current amounts rather than repeating them.
• Other federal programs that touch Medicare in Florida: TRICARE, the VA, FEMA, the Indian Health Service, the Department of Justice and the HHS Office of Inspector General.
• Research and context: KFF and the Census Bureau.

Every page lists its sources at the bottom. If we can't confirm something from an official source, we leave it out.

Numbers come from the data, not from memory

Dollar amounts (premiums, deductibles, limits) come from the figures CMS and the IRS publish each year, kept in one data file, so a change updates every page at once. When CMS hasn't published next year's amount yet, we give the current year's and say so. Florida-only amounts, such as Medicaid income standards, we describe and link to DCF rather than retype. Plan, company and special needs plan counts for Florida and each of its 67 counties come straight from CMS files and name the file and month. See Florida Medicare by the numbers.

English and Spanish

Every guide and answer is published in English and in Spanish, written in formal Spanish for Florida's many Spanish-speaking people with Medicare. Both versions carry the same facts, figures and sources, and are reviewed together.

What we don't do

• We don't rank, rate or recommend specific plans, and we don't show plans' premiums, cost sharing, star ratings or benefits.
• We don't name insurance companies, Medicaid health plans or health systems that sell insurance in our guides. Company names appear only with CMS data and its citation, such as the companies whose plans end in 2027 on plans ending in 2027.
• We don't print State Group Insurance premiums or Florida Retirement System subsidy amounts; we describe the programs and link to them.
• We aren't connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government, the federal Medicare program, the State of Florida, Florida Medicaid or the State Group Insurance Program.

Review schedule and corrections

Each page shows the date the Editorial Team last reviewed it. We review pages:

• every fall, when CMS publishes the next year's amounts and plan data and Open Enrollment begins;
• in January, when new amounts take effect, and in the spring, when DCF updates its income standards for the Medicare Savings Programs and other Medicaid groups;
• whenever a federal rule, a Florida law or rule, or the State Group Insurance Program's Medicare options change, including after each legislative session when a bill we've described passes;
• after a hurricane or other declared disaster, when special enrollment and prescription rules may apply.

If you find a mistake, write to Benefits Life, 1616 17th Street, Suite 464, Denver, CO 80202. We check the source, correct the page and update its reviewed date.

How the site is paid for

Benefits Life works with independent licensed insurance agents and agencies. When they enroll beneficiaries in plans, the agent and Benefits Life may be paid by the insurance company. That relationship is disclosed next to every agent listing and on the About page. It doesn't change what the guides say: they explain the rules the same way whatever plan you choose, including Original Medicare with Medigap, and point you to Medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE for information on all of your options.

Sources

• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
• Federal Register — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
• eCFR — 42 CFR Part 422, Subpart V (Medicare Advantage communication requirements)
• KFF — Medicare
• The Florida Legislature — Florida Statutes
• Florida Administrative Code and Register
• Florida Office of Insurance Regulation
• Florida Department of Financial Services — Consumer Services
• Florida Agency for Health Care Administration — Statewide Medicaid Managed Care
• Florida Department of Children and Families — Public assistance
• Florida Department of Financial Services — Licensee Search

Frequently asked questions

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 →