Chaperone Health Insurance Plus
Moving to Florida With Medicare: What to Review Before You Change Plans
Reviewed October 2026
Moving to Florida is exciting, and it comes with a long to-do list. Your Medicare coverage belongs near the top of it. Some parts of Medicare follow you anywhere in the country, and other parts are tied to the county you live in, so a new address can change which plans you’re allowed to keep, which doctors are in network, and how much your prescriptions cost. I’m Roxroy Ashley, an independent licensed agent with HealthMarkets, based in Fort Lauderdale, and I help people who are relocating to South Florida sort this out before and after the move.
I’ll walk you through what changes, what doesn’t, and the timing that matters, so you aren’t left without coverage while you unpack. I’ve spent 14 years in insurance, the last 8 focused on Medicare, and I’m licensed in 33 states, so we can start talking before you’ve left your old home. When you’re ready, book a free plan review and I’ll get back to you personally within 24 to 48 hours.
I’LL EVEN CALL YOUR DOCTOR
Get a Free Quote From a Medicare Broker When You’re Moving to Florida
A move is when people most often lose a doctor or pharmacy they counted on, so before I recommend anything, I check:
- Your current coverage against the plans available in the exact Florida county you’re moving to
- Your doctors and hospitals, here and in your old state if you’re keeping any, against each plan’s network
- Your prescriptions and pharmacy against each drug list, and your full-year cost
If anything is unclear, I call your doctor’s office to confirm it. Your quote is free, with no obligation to enroll. Get your free quote and I’ll do the research for you.
Hear how I help you choose a plan with confidence.
MORE THAN A FREE QUOTE
Why Choose Me When You Move to Florida With Medicare
When you’re relocating to South Florida, here’s what to look for in a Medicare agent, and what you can expect from me.
I Can Start Before You Move: I’m licensed in 33 states and meet by phone or Zoom, so we can review your options while you’re still packing. Once you’re here, I can meet at my Fort Lauderdale office or at your home.
Your Doctors, Hospitals, and Prescriptions Checked First: I’m familiar with HCA Florida, Memorial Healthcare System, and Baptist Health, which helps me spot network issues early when you’re choosing new doctors here. Before I recommend any plan, I check your doctors, hospitals, and every prescription against its network and drug list, including your pharmacy. If something is unclear, I’ll call your doctor’s office myself.
Every Question Answered, at Your Pace: A move comes with a long to-do list, and most people spend less than an hour on their Medicare coverage. I take as long as you need, explain each piece in plain language, and answer every question until it makes sense. There’s no pressure and no obligation to enroll.
The Plan That Costs Less for You: The lowest premium isn’t always the lowest cost. I calculate your full-year cost for every plan, including copays, drug costs, and your out-of-pocket maximum, based on your health needs, before you choose.
My Help Costs You Nothing Extra: Insurers pay my commission, and plan premiums are generally the same whether you enroll through me or directly, so you get personal guidance and ongoing support at no additional charge.
Both Paths, Side by Side: Medicare Advantage, Medigap, and Part D each work differently. I lay out every path that fits your situation and explain what you’d gain and give up with each, so you decide with the full picture.
I Handle the Paperwork and the Timing: I confirm your enrollment window, pick a start date that avoids a gap, and if you choose a plan, I complete the application with you and follow it through to approval.
Licensed and Verified: I’m licensed in 33 states, I complete AHIP’s annual Medicare certification, and I’m certified for the 2027 plan year. You can verify my license (Florida License #W323530, NPN #17946070) anytime through your state’s insurance department.
I Stay Your Agent After You Enroll: Work with me directly, in person, by phone, on Zoom, or at your home in Broward, Miami-Dade, or Palm Beach, and I reply within 24 to 48 hours. I review your coverage every Annual Enrollment Period and help with claims and billing in between.
You can read all 25 reasons we should work together on my Why Choose Me page.
Medicare Moving to Another State: What Changes and What Stays the Same
The first question I ask anyone relocating is which kind of Medicare coverage they have, because the answer decides almost everything else.
Original Medicare stays the same. Part A (hospital insurance) and Part B (medical insurance) are federal programs that work in every state. You keep the same Medicare card and number, and you can see any doctor or hospital in Florida that accepts Medicare. Your Part B premium is set by federal rules, not by where you live.
Medicare Advantage plans are tied to your county. Medicare Advantage plans are offered by private insurance companies approved by Medicare, and each plan has a service area, usually made up of specific counties. They’re a different way to receive your Part A and Part B benefits, not a supplement to Original Medicare. When you move out of your plan’s service area, you generally can’t stay in that plan, even if the same insurance company sells plans in Florida. Plan choices and networks also differ from county to county, so a move from Palm Beach County to Broward County can matter too.
Standalone Part D plans are tied to your region. Part D prescription drug plans are offered by region, and in most cases a state is its own region. A plan you bought in New York or Ohio usually isn’t available once you live in Florida, so you’ll likely need a new drug plan here.
A Medigap policy usually moves with you. If you have a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan with Original Medicare, you can generally keep it after you move, as long as you keep paying the premium. The details are in the Medigap section below.
Medicaid and Medicare Savings Programs don’t transfer. These are run by each state, so if you get help from your old state’s Medicaid or a Medicare Savings Program, you’ll need to apply again in Florida. More on that in the checklist.
Your Special Enrollment Period for a Move
When you move out of your Medicare Advantage or Part D plan’s service area, you get a Special Enrollment Period, a window to join a new plan without waiting for the Annual Enrollment Period. You also get one if you move within your plan’s area but have new plan options at your new address.
The timing depends on when you tell your current plan. If you let your plan know before you move, your window opens the month before the month you move and lasts for two full months after you move. For example, if you tell your plan in February that you’re moving in March, you can usually choose a new plan starting February 1, and your window lasts through the end of May. If you tell your plan after you’ve already moved, your window is shorter, because it starts later. Telling your plan early gives you the most time, and it lets your new Florida plan start close to your moving date.
If you move out of your Medicare Advantage plan’s area and don’t choose a new plan, the plan will eventually end your coverage and you’ll be returned to Original Medicare. That sounds harmless, but it can leave you without drug coverage. If you go 63 days or more in a row without Part D or other creditable drug coverage, you could owe a late enrollment penalty. That’s why I help clients choose a new plan, or a standalone Part D plan, with a start date that lines up with the move.
Right now, the Annual Enrollment Period for 2027 coverage is open from October 15 to December 7, 2026. If you’re moving soon, we can use whichever window gives you the best timing. Medicare rules on these windows are detailed, so I’ll confirm which ones apply to your situation before you make a change.
Your Medicare Supplement Policy After a Move
If you have Original Medicare with a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan, you’re in the simplest position. Medigap works with any doctor or hospital in the country that accepts Medicare, so your coverage keeps working the day you arrive. Let your insurance company know your new address.
Your premium may change, though. Insurance companies set Medigap premiums partly by where you live, and some re-price your policy for your new ZIP code once you move. Some keep your original rate. Ask your insurer before you move so the new bill isn’t a surprise.
Here are a few other points to check. If you have a Medicare SELECT policy, which is a Medigap policy that uses a network, it may stop working once you leave its service area. In that case, Medicare rules generally let you switch to another Medigap policy within a set window. If your policy was bought in Massachusetts, Minnesota, or Wisconsin, it’s set up differently than the lettered plans sold in Florida, though you can usually keep it after you move.
What a move doesn’t do is give you an automatic right to buy a new Medigap policy. If you’d like a different Medigap plan in Florida, and you’re past your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period, the insurance company can usually ask health questions and may charge more or decline you based on your answers. One exception matters for many people moving here: if you have a Medicare Advantage plan and move out of its service area, you may have a guaranteed issue right to buy certain Medigap plans without health questions, as long as you apply within the allowed window. My guide to Medicare Advantage vs. Medicare Supplement explains how the two paths compare.
Switching either way has trade-offs, so I’ll lay out both sides. Moving from Medicare Advantage to Medigap usually means paying a monthly Medigap premium and adding a separate Part D plan, and you’d give up any extra benefits your Medicare Advantage plan includes, such as dental or vision coverage. Moving from Medigap to Medicare Advantage can mean a network and different cost sharing, and if you drop your Medigap policy, you may not be able to get it back later without answering health questions.
If You Split Your Time Between Florida and Another State
Many people who come to South Florida keep a home up north for part of the year. Medicare requires you to choose one permanent address for plan enrollment, and your coverage choice should fit how you actually live.
Original Medicare with Medigap is often the most flexible setup for snowbirds, because you can see any provider in the country that accepts Medicare, in either state. You’d still need a Part D plan, and it’s worth checking that your pharmacy chain or mail-order option works in both places.
Medicare Advantage plans work best when most of your care happens in one place. HMO plans generally cover only emergency and urgent care outside their service area. Some PPO plans cover out-of-network care at a higher cost, and some plans offer a visitor or traveler program that covers certain care in other areas. Under Medicare rules, if you’re away from your plan’s service area for more than six months in a row, the plan generally must disenroll you, unless it offers a visitor or traveler benefit that allows a longer stay of less than 12 months. My guide to Medicare Advantage HMO vs. PPO explains how the networks differ.
If you’re thinking about which state to call home, keep in mind that I can’t give tax or legal advice, so questions about residency for tax or estate purposes belong with your CPA or attorney.
Moving to Florida Checklist for Your Medicare Coverage
Find out exactly what you have now. Look at your Medicare card and any plan cards. Note whether you have Original Medicare, a Medicare Advantage plan, a standalone Part D plan, a Medigap policy, or retiree coverage from a former employer. If you have retiree coverage, ask the plan whether it works in Florida before you change anything.
Tell your current plan your moving date. For Medicare Advantage and Part D plans, notifying them before you move gives you the longest Special Enrollment Period. For Medigap, ask whether your premium will change with your new ZIP code.
Update your address with Social Security. Medicare gets your address from the Social Security Administration, even if you don’t collect Social Security benefits yet. You can update it through your my Social Security account at ssa.gov, by calling 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), or at a local Social Security office. If you get benefits from the Railroad Retirement Board, contact them instead.
List your doctors and find new ones here. Make a list of every doctor and specialist you see now, then decide who you’ll keep and who you’ll need to replace. South Florida’s large health systems include Memorial Healthcare System, HCA Florida, Baptist Health, Broward Health, and Cleveland Clinic Florida, and each plan’s network can include some of them and leave out others. Ask your current doctors for copies of your records, and set up a first visit in Florida before you need a refill or a referral.
Plan your prescriptions and pharmacy. Write down every medication, dose, and how often you fill it. If you use a national pharmacy chain, your prescriptions can usually be transferred to a Florida location. Some controlled medications can’t be transferred the usual way and may need a new prescription from a Florida doctor. Fill a full supply before you move, and check that your new pharmacy is in your new plan’s network.
Compare plans at your new Florida address. Plans, networks, and costs vary by county, so compare options for the exact county you’re moving to. I’ll check your doctors, hospitals, and prescriptions against each plan and give you a full-year cost estimate.
Reapply for state help if you had it. If you had Medicaid or a Medicare Savings Program in your old state, apply in Florida once you’re a resident. Florida’s Department of Children and Families handles applications through ACCESS Florida. Extra Help with Part D costs is a federal program, so it generally continues after a move, but keep your address current with Social Security. If you qualified for Extra Help automatically because of your old state’s Medicaid or Medicare Savings Program, ask about your status once you reapply here. Learn more on my Extra Help and Special Situations page.
Keep your old coverage until the new coverage starts. Don’t cancel anything until you’ve confirmed your new plan’s start date in writing. Keep your enrollment confirmations and any letters from your old plan.
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Find the Right Coverage for Every Stage of Life
Most households need more than one kind of coverage, and what you need changes as life does. Keep reading for the details on this page, or see all the coverage I help with and my guides to each type of insurance:
Frequently Asked Questions About Moving to Florida With Medicare
What Should I Know About Medicare and Moving to Another State if I Have Original Medicare?
Nothing changes with Original Medicare itself. Part A and Part B work in every state, and you keep the same Medicare card. You’ll still want to update your address with Social Security, and if you have a separate Part D plan, you’ll likely need a new one that’s offered in Florida.
Do I Have to Change My Medicare Advantage Plan if I Move to Florida?
Usually, yes. Medicare Advantage plans cover specific counties, so moving out of your plan’s service area generally means choosing a new plan. Moving gives you a Special Enrollment Period to do that. If you don’t pick a new plan, you’ll be returned to Original Medicare, which can leave you without drug coverage unless you also join a Part D plan.
Can I Keep My Medigap Plan After Moving to Florida?
In most cases, yes, as long as you have Original Medicare and keep paying your premium. Your premium may change based on your new ZIP code. If you have a Medicare SELECT policy, it may not work outside its service area, so check with your insurer before you move.
Does Moving Let Me Switch Medigap Plans Without Health Questions?
Not on its own. Outside your Medigap Open Enrollment Period, insurers can usually ask health questions. The main exception for movers is leaving a Medicare Advantage plan’s service area, which may give you a guaranteed issue right to certain Medigap plans if you apply within the allowed window.
How Do I Find New Doctors in South Florida That Take My Plan?
Start with your plan’s provider directory, then call the office to confirm they’re taking new patients with your specific plan. I check networks for my clients, and I’ll call a doctor’s office to confirm when a directory isn’t clear.
Can I Have Medicare Advantage Plans in Two States?
No. You can only be enrolled in one Medicare Advantage plan at a time, based on your permanent address. If you split your year between two states, Original Medicare with a Medigap plan or a Medicare Advantage plan with a visitor or traveler benefit may fit better. I’ll compare both with you.
Do You Offer Every Medicare Plan Available in Florida?
No. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 8 organizations which offer 65 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to get information on all of your options. In Florida, you can also get free Medicare counseling through SHINE, the state’s SHIP program, at 1-800-963-5337.
Book a Free Plan Review
Moving to South Florida? Pick a time for a free 15-minute call by phone or video. Bring your Medicare card, your current plan details, your medication list, and your new address, and I’ll check how your coverage fits. My help never costs you anything extra.
Call or text: (954) 410-3710
Email: contact@chaperonehealthinsuranceplus.com
Office: 6360 NW 5th Way Ste 101, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309
Meet by: phone, video, at my office, or at home in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach.
- How It Works
How we'll work together
Five steps, no pressure, and I stay with you after you enroll.
1
We talk about you
By phone, Zoom or face to face. Your health, your budget, your doctors.
2
I check the details
Doctors, hospitals, prescriptions and pharmacy, checked against each plan.
3
We compare real costs
A full-year estimate for each option, explained in plain language.
4
You decide, I enroll you
No pressure. If you choose a plan, I handle the application with you.
5
We review every year
Plans and networks change. I check yours each year and help with claims in between.