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Medicare in Florida, from turning 65 to moving south.
Florida has no Medigap birthday rule, so your 6-month open enrollment is the one window where any Medicare Supplement is guaranteed. See your dates, compare Medigap and Medicare Advantage, and learn what changes when you move to Florida.
When is your Medigap window?
Enter your birthday. Nothing is saved or sent until you choose to request quotes.
Appointed with Florida Blue, Mutual of Omaha, Aetna, HealthSpring, UnitedHealthcare and many others. When we quote a Medicare Supplement, we show each company’s past rate increases, not just today’s price.
Medigap or Medicare Advantage in Florida?
Most Floridians on Medicare choose between these two paths, and the right one depends on your doctors, how much you travel, and how you want to pay for care. Here is the honest trade-off.
No birthday rule: your only no-health-questions doors
Some states give a yearly window to change Medigap plans without health questions. Florida does not. Outside the situations on the right, a Medigap company in Florida can ask about your health and turn you down.
Sources: Florida Department of Financial Services, Medicare Supplement Insurance Overview; Medicare.gov. Compare every state in our Medigap rules by state tracker.
- Your 6-month windowStarts the month you are 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. Any plan, any company, no health questions.
- Your plan leavesIf your Medicare Advantage plan stops serving your area, you usually get 63 days to buy certain Medigap plans with no health questions. What to do if your plan is leaving.
- The trial rightJoined Medicare Advantage when you first became eligible at 65? You can switch to Original Medicare and a Medigap plan within the first 12 months.
- Lost other coverageLosing certain coverage, such as some employer plans that supplement Medicare, can open a guaranteed window.
On Medicare before 65 in Florida
Florida requires every company that sells Medicare Supplement plans to offer them to people under 65 who have Medicare because of a disability or end-stage renal disease.
Source: Florida Statutes section 627.6741; Florida Department of Financial Services.
- Your first windowA 6-month open enrollment starts when you are enrolled in Parts A and B. Companies must accept you, though they can charge more than they charge people 65 and older, and a pre-existing condition wait of up to 6 months may apply.
- At 65You get a second 6-month open enrollment when you turn 65 and are enrolled in Part B, with access to age-65 rates and every plan sold in Florida.
Price is today. Rate history is the next ten years.
Every Plan G pays the same benefits, so companies compete on price. But many Medigap policies are priced by your current age, so the premium rises as you get older, on top of any rate increases the company files with Florida regulators. Two companies can quote nearly the same price today and be far apart in five years.
Moving to Florida, or splitting the year?
Many people arrive in Florida with a Medicare plan built for another state. What you need to do depends on whether Florida becomes your home or one of two homes.
Source: Medicare.gov rules on moving, special enrollment periods and Medigap guaranteed issue.
- Moving here for goodIf your Medicare Advantage or Part D plan doesn’t serve your new Florida address, you get a Special Enrollment Period to switch. It can start the month before you move if you tell your plan, and it lasts 2 full months after you move.
- Your Advantage plan endsIf moving means your Medicare Advantage plan no longer covers you, you also get a guaranteed right to buy certain Medigap plans, usually within 63 days, with no health questions.
- Two homes a yearMedicare Advantage plans are local and can end your enrollment if you are out of the service area for more than 6 months in a row. Original Medicare with a Medigap plan works with any provider that accepts Medicare in both of your homes.
- Keeping your MedigapYou can keep your Medigap policy when you move to Florida as long as you pay the premium, though the price may change for your new ZIP code.
- Cruises and trips abroadPlans G and N include foreign travel emergency coverage: 80 percent after a $250 deductible, for care in the first 60 days of a trip, up to $50,000 in your lifetime.
Help paying Medicare costs in Florida
If your income and savings are limited, Florida’s Medicare Savings Programs can pay your Part B premium and, for some people, your deductibles and coinsurance. You apply through the Florida Department of Children and Families at ACCESS Florida. Qualifying can also open special enrollment periods and lower drug costs, which changes which plans make sense, so tell us if you have applied.
The Florida Medicare year
With no birthday rule, these dates are the ones that matter.
Your 6-month Medigap window starts once you are 65 and on Part B. The best time to buy any Medigap plan.
Annual Enrollment: change Medicare Advantage or Part D plans for January 1.
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: one change if you are already in an Advantage plan.
You can apply for Medigap, but outside your window a company can ask health questions.
Federal windows: Medicare.gov. Turning 65 soon? Use our enrollment checklist.
Questions Florida clients ask
Does Florida have a Medigap birthday rule?
No. Florida does not give a yearly window to change Medigap plans without health questions. Your 6-month open enrollment and the federal guaranteed-issue situations are the main times you can buy without underwriting.
I just moved to Florida. Do I need to change my Medicare plan?
If you have Medicare Advantage or a Part D plan that doesn’t serve your new address, yes. Moving gives you a Special Enrollment Period to switch, lasting 2 full months after the move. If you have Original Medicare with a Medigap plan, you can keep it, though the premium may change.
Can I get a Medigap plan in Florida if I am under 65?
Yes. Florida requires companies to offer Medigap to people under 65 who have Medicare because of a disability or end-stage renal disease, with a 6-month open enrollment when you enroll in Parts A and B.
Does it cost anything to work with you?
No. Insurance carriers pay agents a commission, and your premium is the same whether you enroll through us or directly with the company.
¿Pueden ayudarme en español?
Sí. Podemos ayudarle en español por teléfono o video. Envíe el formulario o mándenos un mensaje de texto al (773) 657-9140.
Know your window. Compare both paths. Then decide.
Send your details and a licensed advisor will compare Medigap and Medicare Advantage options for your Florida ZIP code, including each company’s rate history, at no cost.