Where I Work

Medicare help in Florida from a licensed independent agent

I'm John Morrison, an independent insurance agent licensed in Florida (NPN 3680444) and based in Soddy Daisy, Tennessee. I'm not connected with or endorsed by Medicare, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, or any government agency.

Florida

How I work with folks in Florida.

Florida has a few Medicare Supplement rules worth knowing before you buy. After 42 years, explaining rules like these is a big part of my job.

I don't have an office in Florida. We meet by phone or video, and adult children helping a parent are welcome on the call.

Florida also has SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders), free counseling from the Florida Department of Elder Affairs. I'm glad when clients use it too.

Medicare Supplement rules in Florida

In Florida, every Medicare Supplement is priced on an issue-age basis: on the age you were when you bought it. Your premium won't go up because of your age alone. Switch companies, though, and the new one rates you at your age on the new application.

  • Under 65: if you have Part B early because of a disability or kidney failure (ESRD), Florida gives you a six-month guaranteed-issue window for a Supplement from your Part B enrollment date, plus a second open enrollment period at 65.
  • Lost group coverage at 65 or older: you generally get a two-month Medicare Supplement open enrollment period after that coverage ends.
  • Pre-existing conditions: an insurer may not exclude a pre-existing condition for more than six months, and a replacement policy must credit the waiting time you already served.
  • Free look: under state law, every Medicare Supplement has a 30-day free-look period; return it within 30 days of delivery for a full refund.
  • Guaranteed renewable: Florida law lets an insurer cancel a Supplement only for nonpayment or material misrepresentation on the application, never because of your health or claims.
  • By the numbers: Florida had about 5.24 million Medicare beneficiaries in 2025, and roughly 2.97 million of them were in Medicare Advantage or similar plans.

Turning 65 in Florida: key Medicare dates

You sign up for Part A and Part B through Social Security, online at ssa.gov/medicare/sign-up or through your local Social Security office, and I help you line that up with your retirement date.

  • Your Initial Enrollment Period lasts 7 months: the 3 months before the month you turn 65, your birthday month, and the 3 months after.
  • Still working past 65 and covered by a group health plan through your job, or through your spouse's current job? You can generally wait on Part B without a late penalty. Once the work stops or you lose that coverage, whichever happens first, you get an 8-month Special Enrollment Period.
  • Medigap open enrollment: under federal law you get a 6-month window starting the first month you have Part B and are 65 or older, when an insurer can't refuse you or charge more for health problems.
  • Medicare Open Enrollment runs October 15 – December 7 each year; changes take effect January 1 (the plan must get your request by December 7).
  • Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment runs January 1 – March 31 for people already in a Medicare Advantage plan, and you can make only one change each year during it.
  • General Enrollment runs January 1 – March 31 if you missed your Initial Enrollment Period; coverage starts the month after you sign up.
  • Moving outside your plan's service area, or somewhere with new plan options, can give you a Special Enrollment Period to switch Medicare Advantage or drug plans. It starts when you move and runs 2 full months after.

Help paying for Medicare in Florida

Florida Medicaid is administered by the Agency for Health Care Administration. The Department of Children and Families generally handles eligibility and takes applications for the Medicare Savings Programs, which Florida calls Medicare Buy-In.

Florida offers three: QMB, SLMB and QI-1. They can pay Medicare premiums and, in some cases, deductibles and coinsurance for people with limited finances.

One more Florida rule: if you become eligible for Medicaid while you have a Medicare Supplement, you can ask to suspend the policy and its premiums for up to 24 months. Ask within 90 days of becoming eligible for Medicaid. If you later lose Medicaid, ask within 90 days of losing it to have the policy reinstated.

Florida also has a Long-Term Care Partnership Program. For every dollar a qualifying partnership long-term care policy pays in benefits, a dollar of your assets can be protected from Medicaid spend-down. Buying one does not mean you will qualify for Medicaid.

I don't decide who qualifies or quote income limits.

Working with me from Florida

I work with people anywhere in Florida. That includes Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Sarasota, Fort Myers, Melbourne and Pensacola.

Have a question or complaint about insurance? The Florida Department of Financial Services runs the state's insurance consumer helpline at 1-877-693-5236.

I'm on Eastern time. Pensacola and the western Panhandle are an hour behind me.

I'm licensed only in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

If you have family in Georgia or Alabama, I'm licensed there too.

Six product lines

What I can help with in Florida.

The same six things I help every client with, explained one at a time. Pick the one you’re wondering about.

Medicare Advantage in Florida

As of 2025, roughly 2.97 million people on Medicare in Florida were in Medicare Advantage or similar plans, so it helps to know how it differs from a Supplement.

Read more about Medicare Advantage

Prescription Drug Plans in Florida

Pairs with Medicare. Picks up where your other coverage stops — at the pharmacy counter.

Read more about Prescription Drug Plans

Medicare Supplements in Florida

Florida requires every Medicare Supplement to be priced on an issue-age basis, so your premium won't rise because of your age alone.

Read more about Medicare Supplements

SS & Medicare Enrollment in Florida

The soup-to-nuts walk-through. The thing nobody else does.

Read more about SS & Medicare Enrollment

Life Insurance in Florida

Take care of family. Take care of the bill. No drama.

Read more about Life Insurance

Annuities in Florida

I'm licensed. I don't push. If you ask, we'll talk. If you don't, we won't.

Read more about Annuities

Plan availability varies by state and county. Final recommendations are individualized to each client's situation.

Official help

Free, official help in Florida.

These are government and nonprofit offices, not sales lines. I point clients to them all the time, and I’d rather you hear the rules from them too than take my word alone.

FAQ

Medicare questions from Florida

Is John Morrison licensed to help with Medicare in Florida?
Yes. I'm a licensed insurance producer in Florida, NPN 3680444. I'm licensed only in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia; if you live elsewhere, your state's SHIP can help at shiphelp.org or 1-877-839-2675.
Are you connected with Medicare or the State of Florida?
No. Southeast Retirement Solutions is an independent, privately owned insurance agency. We are not connected with or endorsed by the United States government, the federal Medicare program, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, or any Florida agency. For official answers, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), TTY 1-877-486-2048, or SHINE at 1-800-963-5337.
Can I buy a Medicare Supplement in Florida if I'm under 65 and on Medicare because of a disability?
Generally yes, if you apply during your window. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation says people with Part B before 65 due to disability or ESRD get a six-month guaranteed-issue window for a Medicare Supplement, starting on the Part B enrollment date. At 65 you get another open enrollment period. To get a guaranteed-issue policy at the age-65 rate, which the state says is generally less expensive, you reapply with the same company or switch companies during that period.
Can I switch Medicare Supplement plans in Florida without answering health questions?
There are certain windows when you can. Under federal law you have a 6-month Medigap open enrollment starting the first month you have Part B and are 65 or older. If you started Medicare early because of a disability or ESRD, Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation describes a six-month window from your Part B enrollment date, and another open enrollment period once you turn 65. It also says people 65 or older generally get a two-month window after losing group health coverage. You may also have special rights to buy a Medigap policy in other situations, such as if you joined a Medicare Advantage Plan when first eligible at 65 and switch to Original Medicare within 12 months of joining. If none of these fits you, ask SHINE or me what applies to your situation.
Who runs the free Medicare counseling program in Florida, and how do I reach them?
It's called SHINE, Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders, a program of the Florida Department of Elder Affairs. It's free, unbiased and confidential. Call 1-800-963-5337 or visit floridashine.org. You're welcome to call them for a second opinion, and I'd rather you hear the rules from them too.
Where do I apply for a Medicare Savings Program or Extra Help in Florida?
Medicare Savings Programs, which Florida calls Medicare Buy-In, go through the Florida Department of Children and Families, which generally handles Medicaid eligibility. Florida offers QMB, SLMB and QI-1, and qualifying for any of them automatically gets you Extra Help with drug costs. For Extra Help alone, apply through Social Security at ssa.gov.
Do you meet Florida clients in person, or by phone and video?
Phone and video. I meet in person only around Chattanooga, north Georgia and northeast Alabama.
If I move to or from Florida, do I have to change my Medicare plan?
It depends on your situation. Moving outside your plan's service area, or somewhere with new plan options, generally gives you a Special Enrollment Period to switch Medicare Advantage or drug plans, starting when you move and running 2 full months after. If you tell your plan before you move, your window can start earlier. If you have a Medicare Supplement, ask SHINE, or your new state's SHIP at shiphelp.org, or ask me if you're moving to one of the states where I'm licensed.

Where these facts come from

Checked against these official pages in September 2026. Medicare rules change every year, so if something here looks out of date, call me and I’ll check it for you.

Medicare Compliance Notice

We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.

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No pressure. No quotas. I’ll listen, ask a few questions, and if I can help you I’ll tell you how. If I can’t, I’ll tell you that too.

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