Changing plans

Medicare Open Enrollment in Florida (2027 Plans)

Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 to December 7, 2026 in Florida, and changes take effect January 1, 2027. You can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan. For 2027, CMS lists 297 Medicare Advantage plans open to everyone and 11 standalone drug plans in Florida. If your plan is ending, you have until February 28, 2027.

By the Benefits Life Editorial Team, licensed insurance agents · Reviewed November 14, 2026

Quick answers

When is Medicare open enrollment for 2027?: October 15 to December 7, 2026. Coverage you choose starts January 1, 2027.
What if my plan is ending in 2027?: You can choose new coverage until February 28, 2027. Choose by December 31 so there's no gap. You can also buy certain Medigap policies without health questions until 63 days after your plan ends.
Did Hurricane Isaias change the deadline?: For some people in the Panhandle and Big Bend, yes. If the storm kept you from making a change you were eligible to make, a disaster special enrollment period runs through December 31, 2026. Call 1-800-MEDICARE to use it.
Can I change plans after December 7?: If you're in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can make one change from January 1 to March 31, 2027. Other changes need a special enrollment period.
Is Medigap part of open enrollment?: No. Florida has no Medigap birthday rule or yearly switching right, so switching Medigap policies usually means health questions.

When is Medicare open enrollment for 2027?

The Annual Enrollment Period (AEP), usually called open enrollment, runs October 15 to December 7, 2026, the same dates in every state. Changes take effect January 1, 2027. You can make more than one change; the last one you make by December 7 counts.

Date	What happens
By September 30, 2026	Your Medicare Advantage or Part D plan sends its Annual Notice of Change for 2027.
October 6, 2026	Hurricane Isaias incident period begins; the disaster special enrollment period starts.
October 15, 2026	Medicare open enrollment opens.
December 7, 2026	Open enrollment closes. Changes start January 1, 2027.
December 31, 2026	Last day to replace a plan that's ending without a gap. The Hurricane Isaias disaster window ends.
January 1, 2027	New coverage starts. The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period opens.
February 28, 2027	Special enrollment period ends for people whose plan didn't renew.
March 31, 2027	The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period ends.

What can you change?

Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan.
Switch from a Medicare Advantage plan back to Original Medicare.
Change from one Medicare Advantage plan to another.
Join, switch or drop a Part D drug plan.

To join a Medicare Advantage plan you need Part A and Part B and must permanently live in the plan's service area. In Florida, plans are approved county by county, and if you split the year between Florida and another state, the plan must be the one for your permanent home. See Medicare Advantage in Florida, Part D in Florida and snowbirds and Medicare.

How many plans does Florida have for 2027?

CMS's 2027 Landscape file lists 297 Medicare Advantage plans open to everyone in Florida from 22 companies, 245 special needs plans, and 11 standalone Part D plans from 6 companies. Florida is its own Part D region (Region 11), so the same standalone drug plans are sold in all 67 counties. Medicare Advantage choice depends on your county: Hillsborough County has 52 plans open to everyone, Sumter 48, Miami-Dade {{fl:plans.counties.Miami-Dade.ma:n}}, Escambia 28 and Monroe 7. Find yours on the counties page.

What changes in Part D for 2027?

The yearly cap on what you pay out of pocket for covered Part D drugs is $2,400 in 2027, up from $2,100 in 2026. After you reach it, you pay nothing more for covered Part D drugs that year.
A Part D plan's deductible can be no more than $700 in 2027.
Covered insulin costs no more than $35 for a month's supply.
You can still spread drug costs over the year in monthly bills through the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan; ask your plan.

CMS publishes the 2027 Part A and Part B premiums and deductibles separately each fall; see Medicare costs in 2027. Plans also change their drug lists, pharmacy networks and premiums each year, which is why the Annual Notice of Change matters.

What should you check in your Annual Notice of Change?

Find the notice. Your Medicare Advantage or Part D plan must send it so it reaches you by September 30. It lists what changes on January 1. You can ask for it in Spanish; see what is the Annual Notice of Change.
Check your drugs. Make sure each prescription is on the plan's 2027 drug list, and look for new prior authorization or quantity limits.
Check your doctors and hospitals. Confirm they're in the plan's 2027 network, including specialists you see in another county and, if you spend summers up north, how the plan handles care there.
Check your pharmacy. Make sure it's still in network, and whether it's a preferred pharmacy.
Compare costs. Look at the premium, deductible, copays and the plan's out-of-pocket limit for 2027.
Look for a non-renewal letter. If the plan is ending or leaving your county, you get a separate notice. Keep it; it shows your right to buy Medigap without health questions.

What if your Medicare Advantage plan is ending in 2027?

If you do nothing, you go back to Original Medicare on January 1, without drug coverage. Based on CMS data, four companies stop selling regular Medicare Advantage plans in some Florida counties for 2027, and other companies end some plans in counties where they keep others. At least 302,773 Floridians in regular Medicare Advantage plans must choose new coverage. Every Florida county still has regular Medicare Advantage plans in 2027.

Choose by December 7 during open enrollment, or by December 31 using the non-renewal special enrollment period, so your new coverage starts January 1.
You have until February 28, 2027 to choose a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, but coverage starts the first of the month after you choose.
Medigap without health questions: because your plan is ending, you can buy Medigap Plan A, B, D, G, K or L (or C or F if you were eligible for Medicare before 2020) from any company selling it in Florida, applying from 60 days before to 63 days after your coverage ends.

See Florida plans ending in 2027 for the companies and counties, and my plan is ending in 2027 for step-by-step help.

Hurricane Isaias: a disaster window through December 31, 2026

FEMA declared a major disaster for Hurricane Isaias in Florida (DR-4955) on October 27, 2026, for an incident period of October 6 to 12, 2026, after an emergency declaration (EM-3655) on October 9. The declarations cover Panhandle and Big Bend counties, with Individual Assistance in Bay, Escambia, Gulf, Holmes, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton and Washington.

Under CMS rules, a disaster special enrollment period starts with the incident and ends two full calendar months after the incident period ends, so this one runs through December 31, 2026. It's not a new chance for everyone in the area. You can use it if:

you live, or lived when the storm hit, in an area covered by the declaration, or you rely on someone there to help you make health care decisions;
you were eligible for another enrollment period at the time, such as open enrollment; and
the storm kept you from making that change.

To use it, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY 1-877-486-2048). A later state or local declaration could change the dates. More on hurricanes and Medicare in Florida.

Florida state retirees: different calendar

If you're a retired State of Florida employee in the State Group Insurance Program, your choices run on the State's calendar.

The State's Open Enrollment for the 2027 plan year has ended. Medicare's December 7 deadline doesn't reopen your State Group Insurance plan choice.
The State's group Medicare Advantage (MA-PD) plans are open year-round to eligible retirees with Parts A and B. People First must receive your Medicare card; requests received after the 20th of a month start the first day of the second following month.
Ask People First before joining any outside Medicare plan. If you cancel State coverage as a retiree, the State says you can't re-enroll later.

See Florida state retirees and Medicare. Military retirees with TRICARE For Life must keep Parts A and B; see military, veterans and TRICARE in Florida.

After December 7: the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period

From January 1 to March 31, 2027, if you're in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can make one change: switch to another Medicare Advantage plan, or drop your plan, return to Original Medicare and join a Part D plan. The change starts the first of the following month. This period isn't for people in Original Medicare who want to join Medicare Advantage or switch Part D plans. See can I change my plan after January 1.

Special enrollment periods that run all year

Moving out of your plan's area, within Florida or from another state. See moving to Florida with Medicare.
Florida Medicaid or Extra Help: you can switch drug plans, or leave Medicare Advantage for Original Medicare with a drug plan, once a calendar month. If you have full Medicaid, you can also join or switch to an integrated D-SNP once a month; Florida has integrated plans for 2027, including FIDE-SNPs that also carry Medicaid long-term care in 42 counties. See D-SNPs in Florida and Extra Help in Florida.
Losing employer or union coverage, for example when you retire. See working past 65.
Moving into, living in or leaving a nursing home or other institution.
A declared emergency or disaster, such as Hurricane Isaias, that kept you from making a choice you were eligible to make.

All dates are on Medicare enrollment periods.

Medigap isn't part of open enrollment

Open enrollment doesn't let you buy or change Medigap without health questions. Your guaranteed window at 65 is the 6 months that start the first month you're both 65 and enrolled in Part B. Florida has no birthday, anniversary or yearly switching rule (Fla. Stat. 627.671 to 627.675). Florida does add one right of its own: for 2 months after group health coverage ends, you can buy a Medigap policy without health questions (Fla. Stat. 627.6741). Florida also bans attained-age pricing, so a Medigap premium can't rise just because you get older, and you have 30 days to return a new policy for a full refund. Think this through before leaving Medigap for Medicare Advantage. See Medigap in Florida and Medigap vs. Medicare Advantage in Florida.

How should you compare plans?

Start with your drugs, doctors and pharmacy, then compare costs for a typical year and a hard one. Medicare's Plan Finder at Medicare.gov lists plans in your ZIP code, and 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY 1-877-486-2048) has information on all your options. 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. You can also meet licensed insurance agents in Florida.

Avoiding scams during open enrollment

Medicare won't call you to sell a plan or ask for your Medicare number.
Agents and plans can't call you, text you or come to your door without your permission.
Don't give your Medicare number to anyone who contacts you out of the blue.
Report suspected Medicare fraud to 1-800-MEDICARE, the HHS Office of Inspector General at 1-800-HHS-TIPS, or the Senior Medicare Patrol national line, 1-877-808-2468. Complaints about an insurance agent go to the Florida Department of Financial Services Consumer Helpline, 1-877-693-5236. See Medicare fraud in Florida.

Your open enrollment checklist

Read your Annual Notice of Change. Note any change to drugs, network, costs, or a non-renewal letter.
Check your retiree coverage rules. If you have State Group Insurance, local government, federal or TRICARE coverage, confirm what's allowed before you change anything.
Check whether your plan is ending. Compare your letter with Florida plans ending in 2027.
List your prescriptions, doctors and pharmacy. Bring the list when you compare.
Compare plans sold in your county. Use Plan Finder or talk with a licensed insurance agent.
Decide by December 7, 2026. If your plan is ending, decide by December 31 to avoid a gap.
Watch for your new plan's welcome letter and ID card. Keep your old card until January 1.

Sources

Every question in this guide

Frequently asked questions

What happens if I do nothing during open enrollment?

If your plan is renewing, you stay in it for 2027 with the changes listed in its Annual Notice of Change. If your Medicare Advantage plan is ending and you do nothing, you go back to Original Medicare on January 1 without drug coverage.

Does my Medicare plan renew automatically?

Yes, if the plan is still offered in your county for 2027. You stay in it unless you choose another plan. Read its Annual Notice of Change first, because costs, drug lists and networks can change on January 1.

Can I switch plans if I move within Florida?

Yes, if you move out of your plan's service area or to an address with new plan options. Your chance starts the month you move and lasts 2 full months after; if you tell your plan before you move, it can start the month before.

Do Florida state retirees use the same dates?

Not for State Group Insurance choices. The State's Open Enrollment for the 2027 plan year has ended. The State's group Medicare Advantage (MA-PD) plans are open to eligible retirees year-round through People First.

My Florida Medicare Advantage plan is ending in 2027. What should I do?

Choose a new Medicare Advantage plan, or Original Medicare with a Part D plan, by December 31, 2026 so it starts January 1. Your special enrollment period lasts until February 28, 2027, and you can buy certain Medigap policies without health questions, applying up to 63 days after your coverage ends.

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