What follows you and what doesn't
| Coverage | After you move to Florida |
|---|---|
| Original Medicare | No change. Update your address with Social Security. |
| Medigap | Usually keeps working; ask about your premium. |
| Individual Medicare Advantage plan | Ends; it doesn't serve Florida counties. |
| Standalone Part D plan | Ends; Florida is its own Part D region (Region 11). |
| Employer or union retiree coverage | Depends on the plan; ask before you move. |
| Medicaid or a Medicare Savings Program | Doesn't transfer. Apply in Florida through ACCESS Florida. |
Retiree coverage: check it first
Many people moving from the Midwest have health coverage from a former employer or union. Ask the plan administrator whether the coverage continues in Florida, which doctors and pharmacies you can use, and whether dropping it means you can't get it back. If you leave a Medicare Advantage plan because of the move, your moving special enrollment period applies.
If group health coverage ends after you live in Florida, Florida law gives you a 2-month window to buy a Medigap policy without health questions (Fla. Stat. 627.6741(1)(a)2). Federal law also gives a 63-day guaranteed-issue right when an employer plan that pays after Medicare ends. See Medigap after employer coverage ends.
Medigap rules change after the move
Some states give people extra rights to switch Medigap policies. Those rights come from the law of the state where you live and buy a policy, so they don't follow you. In Florida, outside your guaranteed-issue windows, a company can ask health questions. Florida does bar premiums that rise automatically as you age (attained-age pricing), and OIR, the state's insurance regulator, must approve rate changes.
Choosing Florida plans
For 2027, CMS lists 297 Medicare Advantage plans open to everyone somewhere in Florida from 22 companies, and 11 standalone Part D plans. Choices depend on your county: for example 41 in Sarasota, 34 in Lee and 32 in Collier. Some plans end in 2027; see plans ending in 2027. To compare plans from the companies they work with, you can request a call from a licensed insurance agent.
Related questions
Your moving window
When it starts and ends.
Moving from New York?
EPIC and your plans.
What happens to my Medicare?
Each kind of coverage.
Sources
- Medicare.gov — Special Enrollment Periods
- Medicare.gov — When does Medicare coverage start? (situations that don't qualify)
- eCFR — 42 CFR 422.50, eligibility to elect an MA plan
- Medicare.gov — Choosing a Medigap Policy (March 2026)
- Florida Statutes — s. 627.6741, Medicare supplement issuance
- Florida Statutes — s. 627.410, filing of forms and rates
- CMS — CY2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Landscape files
More questions in this guide
- What happens to my Medicare Platino plan if I move from Puerto Rico to Florida?
- Moving from New Jersey to Florida: what happens to my Medicare?
- Moving from New York to Florida: what happens to my Medicare?
- I'm moving from Puerto Rico to Florida. Do I need to sign up for Medicare Part B?
- Do I get a special enrollment period when I move to Florida?
- What happens to my Medicare if I move to Florida?
Part of the guide: Moving to Florida with Medicare · All questions
Frequently asked questions
Does my union or employer retiree plan work in Florida?
It depends on the plan. Federal rules give employer and union group Medicare plans some exceptions to the service-area rule that individual plans follow, so ask your plan administrator before you move rather than assuming it ends or continues.
Can I keep a Medigap switching right I had up north?
No. Florida has no birthday rule or yearly right to switch, and a switching right that comes from another state's law doesn't carry over when you buy a Florida policy. You can usually keep the policy you have.
If my retiree coverage ends, can I sign up for Part B without a penalty?
Not because of that. Medicare.gov lists the end of retiree coverage and COBRA as situations that don't qualify for a Part B special enrollment period. The window is for coverage from a current job.
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 →
