Quick answers
- What is the difference between Part A and Part B?
- Part A is hospital insurance: inpatient stays, skilled nursing after a hospital stay, hospice and some home health care. Part B is medical insurance: doctors, outpatient care, preventive services, ambulance and medical equipment.
- Does Medicare cover dental, hearing aids or glasses?
- Original Medicare doesn't cover routine dental care, hearing aids or routine eye exams and glasses. Some Medicare Advantage plans add these; check a plan's Evidence of Coverage. Florida Medicaid covers emergency dental care and dentures, hearing aids and eyeglasses for adults who qualify.
- Does Medicare pay for a nursing home or assisted living?
- Only short-term skilled nursing care after a qualifying hospital stay, up to 100 days per benefit period. Long-term custodial care, in a nursing home or an assisted living facility, isn't covered. In Florida, Medicaid's Long-Term Care program pays for people who qualify.
- How many people have Medicare in Florida?
- 5,344,538 Floridians had Medicare in July 2026, according to CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment data. 3,051,948 of them were in Medicare Advantage or other health plans.
- Is Medicare the same in Florida as in other states?
- Parts A, B and D work the same everywhere. What differs is the plans sold in your county, Florida's Medigap rules (no birthday rule, but a 2-month window after group coverage ends) and Florida Medicaid's programs.
What is Medicare?
Medicare is the federal health insurance program run by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). It covers people 65 and older, people under 65 who have received Social Security or Railroad Retirement disability benefits for 24 months, and people with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) or ALS. Social Security handles sign-up; Medicare and the plans you choose pay the claims.
CMS counts 5,344,538 people with Medicare in Florida as of July 2026: 2,292,590 in Original Medicare and 3,051,948 in Medicare Advantage or other health plans. The rules are federal, so the parts work the same in Pensacola, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Miami and Key West. What changes by place is which plans are sold in your county, Florida's Medigap rules and Florida Medicaid's programs for people with low incomes. See Florida Medicare by the numbers.
What are the parts of Medicare?
| Part | What it covers | Who provides it |
|---|---|---|
| Part A (hospital insurance) | Inpatient hospital stays, skilled nursing facility care after a qualifying hospital stay, hospice, some home health care | Medicare |
| Part B (medical insurance) | Doctors, outpatient care, preventive services, lab tests, ambulance, durable medical equipment, some drugs given in a clinic | Medicare |
| Part C (Medicare Advantage) | Everything Parts A and B cover, usually with drug coverage, through a private plan with its own network and rules | Private companies approved by Medicare |
| Part D (drug coverage) | Prescriptions you fill at a pharmacy | Private companies approved by Medicare |
More detail: Medicare Part A, Medicare Part B, Medicare Advantage in Florida and Part D in Florida.
Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage?
Everyone with Medicare chooses between two ways to get coverage.
Original Medicare
Parts A and B, run by the federal government. You can see any doctor or hospital in the country that accepts Medicare, usually without referrals, which matters to snowbirds and to anyone who has to evacuate for a hurricane. It has no yearly limit on what you pay, so many people add a Medigap policy to cover deductibles and the 20% coinsurance, and a standalone Part D plan for drugs.
Medicare Advantage (Part C)
A private plan that provides your Part A and Part B coverage (you still have Medicare and still pay the Part B premium). Most include drug coverage. Plans use networks tied to a service area, may require referrals or prior approval, and have a yearly in-network out-of-pocket limit, which can't exceed $9,250 in 2026.
Medicare Advantage plans may offer extra benefits such as dental, vision, hearing or fitness. Extra benefits vary by plan and county, may have limits and costs, and not every plan offers them. Check a plan's Summary of Benefits or Evidence of Coverage.
CMS lists 297 Medicare Advantage plans open to everyone somewhere in Florida for 2027, from 22 companies, plus 245 special needs plans. Each county has its own list: from 7 in Monroe County to 52 in Hillsborough County. Look yours up on the county pages. The full comparison is in Medigap vs. Medicare Advantage in Florida.
What doesn't Medicare cover?
Original Medicare doesn't cover:
- Most dental care and dentures
- Routine eye exams for glasses, and most eyeglasses and contact lenses
- Hearing aids and exams for fitting them
- Long-term custodial care, the help with bathing, dressing and eating that most nursing home and assisted living residents need
- Routine physical exams (it covers a yearly Wellness visit instead)
- Rides to appointments, other than a medically necessary ambulance
- Care outside the United States, except in rare cases (Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands count as the U.S.)
In Florida, people with full Medicaid can get some of these. For adults, Florida Medicaid covers emergency dental care to relieve pain or infection plus dentures, one new hearing aid per ear every three years for at least moderate hearing loss, eyeglass lenses every year and a frame every two years, rides to Medicaid-covered appointments, and long-term care through its Long-Term Care program. A Medicare Savings Program alone doesn't include these services. See Florida Medicaid and Medicare and the answers on dental, assisted living, rides and travel abroad.
What does Medicare cost?
| Cost (2026) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Part A premium | Most people pay none; others pay up to $565 a month |
| Part A deductible, per benefit period | $1,736 |
| Part B standard premium | $202.90 a month (more with higher income) |
| Part B deductible | $283 a year |
| Part D out-of-pocket cap | $2,100 a year |
CMS announces each year's Part A and Part B amounts in the fall. See Medicare costs in 2026 and Medicare costs in 2027. If your income is limited, Florida's Medicare Savings Programs (QMB, SLMB and QI-1, run by the Department of Children and Families) can pay your Part B premium, and Extra Help lowers drug costs; see Medicare Savings Programs in Florida and Extra Help in Florida. Florida has no state drug-assistance program for seniors.
What is different about Medicare in Florida?
- No Medigap birthday rule, but a 2-month window. Florida law (Fla. Stat. 627.6741) has no birthday or yearly switching right. It does let you buy a Medigap policy without health questions during the 2 months after group health coverage ends, and it gives people under 65 with Medicare because of a disability or ESRD a 6-month open enrollment. Florida also bans Medigap pricing that rises automatically with age (attained-age pricing). See Medigap in Florida.
- Its own regions. Florida is a Medicare Advantage region (Region 09) and a Part D region (Region 11) by itself, with 11 standalone drug plans from 6 companies for 2027.
- Florida Medicaid works differently. Florida hasn't expanded Medicaid, and its main program for older and disabled adults, MEDS-AD, generally excludes people who have Medicare unless they're in a nursing home, hospice or home and community-based services. People with Medicare and full Medicaid get their Medicaid through a Statewide Medicaid Managed Care plan. See Florida Medicaid and Medicare.
- State retirees. If you keep State Group Insurance after you become eligible for Medicare, the State plan pays as if you had Part B, whether or not you do. See Florida state retirees and Medicare.
- Hurricanes. A federal, state or local emergency declaration can open a special enrollment period for people who missed a deadline because of the storm. See hurricanes and Medicare in Florida.
- 2027 plan endings. Some Medicare Advantage plans are ending or leaving counties for 2027, affecting at least 302,773 Floridians, though every county still has Medicare Advantage plans. See Florida plans ending in 2027.
How do I get started?
- Check when you're eligible. See Medicare eligibility and enrollment periods.
- Sign up for Part A and Part B. Apply through Social Security at ssa.gov or 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), unless you're enrolled automatically. If you're turning 65, see turning 65 in Florida.
- Choose your path. Original Medicare with Medigap and Part D, or a Medicare Advantage plan sold in your county.
- Compare plans. See plans for your ZIP code, or you can request a call from a licensed insurance agent to go over plans from the companies they work with.
For general Medicare questions, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY 1-877-486-2048). Other Florida numbers are on Florida Medicare contacts, and terms are explained in the glossary.
Sources
- Medicare.gov — Parts of Medicare
- Medicare.gov — What Medicare covers
- Medicare.gov — Hearing aids
- Medicare.gov — Eyeglasses and contact lenses
- Medicare.gov — Hospice care
- Medicare.gov — Mental health care (outpatient)
- CMS — 2026 Medicare Parts A and B premiums and deductibles
- CMS — Medicare Monthly Enrollment (Florida, July 2026)
- CMS — CY2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Landscape files
- Florida Statutes — s. 627.6741, Medicare supplement policies: issuance, cancellation, renewal
- AHCA — Hearing Services (Florida Medicaid)
- AHCA — Visual Aid Services (Florida Medicaid)
- AHCA — Dental Services (Florida Medicaid)
- DCF ESS Program Policy Manual — Chapter 2000, MEDS-AD and Medicare Savings Programs (PDF)
- KFF — Status of State Medicaid Expansion Decisions
- MyBenefits (Department of Management Services) — Retirees FAQ
Every question in this guide
- Does Medicare cover assisted living in Florida?
- Does Medicare cover me if I travel to Cuba, Latin America or the Caribbean?
- Does Medicare cover dental in Florida?
- Does Medicare cover home health care in Florida?
- Does Medicare cover nursing home care in Florida?
- How do I get rides to the doctor with Medicare in Florida?
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Medicare Part A and Part B?
Part A is hospital insurance: inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing facility care after a qualifying hospital stay, hospice and some home health care. Part B is medical insurance: doctors' services, outpatient care, preventive services, ambulance rides and durable medical equipment. Most people pay no Part A premium; the standard Part B premium is $202.90 a month in 2026.
Does Medicare cover hearing aids in Florida?
No. Original Medicare doesn't cover hearing aids or exams for fitting them, though Part B covers diagnostic hearing and balance exams your provider orders. Florida Medicaid covers one new hearing aid per ear every three years for people with at least moderate hearing loss who have full Medicaid.
Does Medicare cover eye exams and glasses?
Original Medicare doesn't cover routine eye exams for glasses or most eyeglasses. Part B covers one pair of glasses with standard frames, or one set of contact lenses, after each cataract surgery that implants an intraocular lens, and it covers eye care for conditions such as glaucoma and diabetic eye disease.
Does Medicare cover hospice?
Yes. Part A covers hospice care if a hospice doctor and your regular doctor certify you're terminally ill and you choose comfort care instead of treatment to cure the illness. You pay nothing for covered hospice services, though small copayments can apply for some drugs and respite care.
Does Medicare cover mental health care?
Yes. Part B covers outpatient counseling and therapy, a yearly depression screening and other services, including from licensed clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors. Part A covers inpatient mental health care; care in a freestanding psychiatric hospital is limited to 190 days in your lifetime.
Medicare in your Florida county
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