Free checklist · New to Florida
Just Moved to Florida? Your Medicare Checklist
When I moved here, I found out I'd been on the wrong plan for years and didn't even know it. Someone helped me fix it, and now I get to do that for you. — Alan Roy
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Medicare Advantage and drug plans are local. A plan from another state may have no doctors in your new area. This checklist walks you through what to do after a move to Florida so your coverage made the move with you.
What's inside
- Your special 2-month window to switch plans after a move
- What to do right away, including updating your address with Social Security
- How to find Florida doctors, a hospital and a pharmacy in your plan's network
- What snowbirds and two-home families should know
- The most common mistakes people make after moving
Key things to know
You get a special window to switch
Moving out of your plan's service area lets you change your Medicare Advantage or drug plan. It starts when you move and lasts 2 full months after. Tell your plan before you move and it starts the month before.
Update your address with Social Security
Medicare uses the address Social Security has on file. Update it at ssa.gov or by phone.
Original Medicare travels; most local plans don't
Original Medicare works with any doctor who takes Medicare, anywhere in the U.S. Many Medicare Advantage plans only cover emergency and urgent care outside their area.
Have a Medicare Supplement?
It usually moves with you, but your premium may change. Switching to a different Supplement may mean answering health questions.
Common questions
What happens if I don't pick a new plan after I move?
If you're on a Medicare Advantage plan and don't choose a new one, you'll go back to Original Medicare when your old plan ends. Miss the window and you'll usually wait until fall Open Enrollment.
I split my time between Florida and another state. What should I do?
Keep one main address on file with Social Security and your plan, and ask about travel coverage before you go. The right setup depends on where you spend most of your time.
Does my plan from up north work in Florida?
Call your current plan and ask, "Do you cover my new Florida address?" Assuming it works is one of the most common, and most expensive, mistakes.
Who it's for: Anyone on Medicare who has moved to Florida, is about to, or splits time between Florida and another state.
