Ask 1stFlorida

Where 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.

Its counselors are specially trained volunteers who help one on one with questions about Medicare, Medicaid and health insurance, and the counseling is free, unbiased and confidential. Call 1-800-963-5337, which spells 1-800-96-ELDER. It is also the state's Elder Helpline, which gives information on the services for older people in each county.

Where to go from here.

Generated image of an older couple unpacking moving boxes in the bright living room of a Florida home, with a screened porch and palm trees behind them.

How 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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Generated image of a woman looking over papers at a laptop on a screened porch, with a pool and palm trees behind her.

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.

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