Step one: search Care Compare
Care Compare is Medicare's directory of doctors, clinicians, hospitals and other providers enrolled in Medicare, in English and in Spanish at es.medicare.gov. Search by your ZIP code or city and a specialty. CMS says the doctor and clinician profiles show practice addresses and phone numbers, specialties, education, board certification, hospital affiliations and some quality information, and help you find clinicians who accept Medicare-approved payment amounts and who offer telehealth.
Care Compare doesn't tell you whether a practice is taking new patients this month, or whether a doctor is in a particular Medicare Advantage plan's network. Call to check.
- Search Care Compare. Write down two or three doctors near you in each specialty you need.
- Call each office. Ask: "Are you accepting new Medicare patients?" and "Do you accept Medicare assignment?"
- If you have Medicare Advantage, ask about your plan. Give the plan's name and ask whether the doctor is in its network for 2027.
- Check the opt-out list for any doctor who asks you to sign a private contract (see below).
Three kinds of doctors under Original Medicare
| Doctor | What Medicare pays | What you pay |
|---|---|---|
| Accepts assignment (participating) | Its share of the Medicare-approved amount, paid to the doctor | Your deductible and coinsurance only (usually 20% after the Part B deductible of $283 in 2026) |
| Non-participating, not taking assignment for your visit | Its share, often paid to you; the doctor must still file the claim | Possibly the full bill up front, plus up to the limiting charge: 15% over the non-participating fee schedule amount |
| Opted out | Nothing, except emergency or urgent care | Whatever your private contract says |
A non-participating doctor can choose to accept assignment visit by visit. The limiting charge comes from 42 CFR 414.48, which caps what a non-participating doctor who doesn't take assignment may bill at 115% of the fee schedule amount. You pay nothing for most preventive services if your provider accepts assignment.
What Florida law adds: s. 456.056
Florida Statutes s. 456.056 covers physicians (medical doctors, osteopathic physicians, chiropractors, podiatrists and optometrists) who treat Medicare patients:
- A physician may refuse to treat a Medicare beneficiary.
- For an emergency medical condition, the physician must accept Medicare assignment. This covers the emergency itself, not care after you're stabilized or unrelated care.
- For non-emergency care, if your primary physician accepts assignment, the consulting physicians they bring in must also accept it, unless you agree in writing, before treatment, that they need not.
- Charges beyond what the section allows, other than your unmet deductible and the 20% Medicare doesn't pay, are void.
It isn't a general ban on excess charges. Outside those cases, a non-participating doctor may still bill up to the federal limiting charge.
Opt-out doctors in Florida
Doctors and practitioners can opt out of Medicare by filing an affidavit, for a minimum of 2 years. After that, they treat Medicare patients only under a private contract you sign, and neither Medicare nor a Medicare Advantage plan pays them, even for Medicare-covered services, except emergency or urgent care (42 CFR 405.425). Medigap doesn't pay either, and the limiting charge doesn't apply.
CMS's opt-out list for September 2026 has 2,899 Florida records, the fifth-most of any state. The largest groups are mental health counselors, nurse practitioners, dentists, family practice doctors, clinical psychologists, clinical social workers, psychiatrists and internal medicine doctors. You can search the list by name on data.cms.gov.
Concierge practices
Some Florida practices charge a yearly or monthly membership fee. Medicare.gov says Medicare doesn't cover the fee, and doctors who offer concierge care must still follow Medicare's rules: a doctor who accepts assignment can't charge you extra for Medicare-covered services, so the fee can't cover items or services Medicare usually covers. Florida law (s. 624.27) treats "direct health care agreements" as outside the insurance code and requires them to be in writing, describe what the fee covers and allow either side to cancel with 30 days' written notice. See concierge doctors and Medicare in Florida.
If you have Medicare Advantage
Medicare Advantage plans usually have networks, and those networks can change each year. Under 42 CFR 422.111, plans must tell members the number, mix and addresses of their providers and each provider's cultural and linguistic capabilities, including languages offered by the provider or an interpreter at the office. Check the directory, then confirm with the office. If your plan is ending, see Florida plans ending in 2027.
Get help
For questions about a bill or a claim, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY 1-877-486-2048). To check doctors in plans from the companies they work with, you can request a call from a licensed insurance agent. More: The Villages and 55+ communities and snowbirds and Medicare.
Sources
- Medicare.gov — Care Compare
- CMS — Doctors and Clinicians profile pages on the Medicare.gov compare tool
- Medicare.gov — Part B (preventive services and assignment)
- eCFR — 42 CFR 414.48, Limits on actual charges of nonparticipating suppliers
- eCFR — 42 CFR 405.410, Conditions for properly opting out of Medicare
- eCFR — 42 CFR 405.425, Effects of opting out of Medicare
- CMS — Opt Out Affidavits (September 2026 file)
- Medicare.gov — Concierge care
- Florida Statutes — s. 456.056, Treatment of Medicare beneficiaries
- Florida Statutes — s. 624.27, Direct health care agreements
- eCFR — 42 CFR 422.111, Disclosure requirements (provider information)
Frequently asked questions
What is a Medicare opt-out doctor, and how many are in Florida?
An opt-out doctor or practitioner has filed an affidavit with Medicare and treats Medicare patients only under a private contract, for at least 2 years at a time. Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans don't pay them, except for emergency or urgent care. CMS lists about 2,900 Florida clinicians who have opted out (September 2026).
Can a Florida doctor refuse to see Medicare patients?
Yes. Florida law (s. 456.056) says a physician may refuse to treat a Medicare beneficiary, though emergency duties still apply. Doctors can also limit how many new patients they take.
Does Medigap help if my doctor doesn't accept assignment?
Medigap Plans F and G pay Part B excess charges, the amount up to the limiting charge that a non-participating doctor may bill above Medicare's approved amount. No Medigap plan pays an opt-out doctor.
How do I find a doctor in my Medicare Advantage plan?
Use the plan's provider directory, then call the office to confirm the doctor is in that plan's network for the year. Federal rules require plans to list each provider's languages and other access information.
Medicare in your Florida county
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