01Where can I get free help with Medicare in Florida?
From SHINE, Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders, a free program of the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and the local Area Agencies on Aging.
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How do I get health insurance in Florida before Medicare?
If your coverage does not come through a job, buy a plan through the federal Health Insurance Marketplace, at HealthCare.gov or by phone at 1-800-318-2596.
Florida uses the federal marketplace rather than running its own, and the TTY line is 1-855-889-4325. Moving to Florida lets you sign up outside the yearly open enrollment: you have 60 days from the move to choose a plan, as long as you had qualifying health coverage for at least one day in the 60 days before the move, unless you are moving from a foreign country or a U.S. territory. Without a move or another qualifying change in your life, you apply in open enrollment; starting November 1, you can apply for 2027 coverage. Questions about Medicare, including when yours starts, go to SHINE, the state's free counseling program, at 1-800-963-5337.
Where to go from here.
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02How do I move my Medicare to Florida?
Original Medicare comes with you: you can see any doctor or hospital that takes Medicare, anywhere in the U.S., so there is nothing to move.
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03What do I have to do after I move to Florida?
The state starts the clock on the day you establish residency, and two deadlines come first.
Read the answer →Where this comes from.
- Florida Department of Financial Services, health reform and the Marketplace ↗ Read September 25, 2026
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Special Enrollment Periods, March 2026 ↗ Read September 25, 2026
- HealthCare.gov, dates and deadlines ↗ Read September 25, 2026
- Florida SHINE, Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders ↗ Read September 25, 2026
More questions like this.
Where are the marijuana dispensaries in Florida?
Only a state-licensed medical marijuana treatment center may sell marijuana in Florida, and only to a patient or caregiver with an active state card; there is no sale to anyone without one.
Where can I buy liquor in Florida, and do grocery stores sell it?
Beer and wine are sold in grocery stores, drugstores and gas stations that hold a beer and wine license.
What time can you buy alcohol in Florida?
It depends on the county or city. State law sets the default: no alcohol may be sold or served between midnight and 7 a.m., unless a county or city ordinance says otherwise, and many do.
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