Medicare enrollment periods in Florida
Medicare's enrollment windows are set by federal rules, so they are the same in Florida as in every other state. The 2026 Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7, 2026. Changes made during the Annual Enrollment Period take effect January 1, 2027.
IEP
Initial Enrollment Period
The Initial Enrollment Period is your personal seven-month window around your 65th birthday. It opens three months before the month you turn 65 and closes three months after. This is when most people enroll in Medicare for the first time.
AEP
Annual Enrollment Period
The Annual Enrollment Period runs from October 15 through December 7 each year. During AEP, people with Medicare can enroll in, change, or drop a Medicare Advantage plan or a Part D plan. Changes made during AEP take effect on January 1 of the following year.
MA OEP
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period
The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs from January 1 through March 31. During this window, people already enrolled in Medicare Advantage can make one change: to a different Medicare Advantage plan, or back to Original Medicare, with or without a Part D plan. The change takes effect the first of the month after the plan gets the request.
SEP
Special Enrollment Periods
Special Enrollment Periods open when specific life events happen, such as losing employer coverage or moving to a new area. The timing depends on the event, and Medicare.gov explains the rules for each one.
Unbiased Medicare counseling through SHINE
Every state has a State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or SHIP. Florida's is called SHINE, which stands for Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders. It is offered by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, and its trained volunteers help people with Medicare understand their choices.
SHINE's trained volunteers help with Medicare, Medicaid and health insurance questions through one-on-one counseling, and SHINE describes its services as unbiased and confidential. Some people call SHINE first to learn the rules, then talk with an agent about specific plans. If you are starting from scratch, our guide to what Medicare is covers the basics.
Insurance consumer help from the State of Florida
In many states the consumer contact is the Department of Insurance. In Florida, that role sits with the Division of Consumer Services at the Florida Department of Financial Services, which offers information and assistance for insurance consumers by phone and online. For questions about federal Medicare rules themselves, Medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE are the official sources.
Where to get Medicare help in Florida
These public programs and contacts are listed by official sources. Each one links to the page it came from.
Medicare counseling (SHIP)
Florida's State Health Insurance Assistance Program is SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders), offered by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs. Trained volunteers provide unbiased, confidential, one-on-one help with Medicare questions. Phone: 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337).
Source: SHINE (floridashine.org)
State insurance consumer help
In Florida, the Division of Consumer Services at the Florida Department of Financial Services offers information and assistance for insurance consumers. Its helpline is 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (1-877-693-5236), Monday through Friday.
County guides for Florida
Educational Medicare guides for individual Florida counties, with CMS figures for each county and its local counseling contacts.
How a licensed independent agent helps in Florida
A licensed independent insurance agent can explain how the parts of Medicare fit together, walk through the enrollment windows that apply to your situation, and review the plans the agent offers in your area. The review is educational, and there is no obligation to enroll.
An agent is different from a state counseling program. Counselors at a State Health Insurance Assistance Program do not sell insurance. A licensed agent can help with an application, but can only discuss the plans that agent offers, which is why the plan-availability disclosure appears near the request button on this page.
Many people use both: unbiased counseling to understand the rules, and an agent to review specific options. If you are new to Medicare, start with what Medicare is and how it works, then read about the Annual Enrollment Period. For other coverage questions in Florida, see the Florida state guide.
Have questions? Review your options with a licensed agent.
Review your Medicare options in Florida
Answer a few questions and a licensed agent will follow up to walk through the plans they offer in your area. Educational, no pressure, and no obligation to enroll.
Licensed Insurance Agent | NPN: 19291077 · Licensed in 25+ states · No obligation · Privacy Policy
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.
This is a solicitation for insurance.
Empathy Insurance Advisors is not a real estate, tax, or financial planning firm.
FAQ
Medicare questions from Florida
Continue learning
Related reading
Medicare education hub
How Parts A, B, C and D work, and the enrollment timeline.
Read more
Medicare Annual Enrollment Period
What the October 15 through December 7 window allows.
Read more
What is Medicare?
A plain-language beginner's guide.
Read more
Medicare Special Enrollment Periods
Life events that open a window outside AEP.
Read more
Florida state guide
Both coverage guides for Florida and license details.
Read more
States we serve
Every state where Alexander James is licensed.
Read more