Medicare for Florida Snowbirds: How to Keep Coverage in Two States

Florida is home to hundreds of thousands of snowbirds -- retirees who spend winters in the Sunshine State and summers in northern states. If you split your time between Florida and another state, your Medicare coverage choices matter enormously. The wrong plan can leave you with limited access to care in one of your two homes.

Original Medicare with a Medigap supplement is the ideal coverage structure for snowbirds -- and for good reason.

Original Medicare works everywhere: Medicare Part A and Part B cover you at any doctor or hospital in the United States that accepts Medicare -- regardless of which state you are in. There are no networks, no referrals, no geographic restrictions.

Medigap works everywhere Medicare does: Your Medigap supplement covers your cost-sharing at any Medicare-participating provider nationwide. A Plan G policy issued in Florida covers you just as fully in Michigan, New York, or Minnesota.

The result: As a snowbird with Original Medicare and Medigap, you can see your Florida doctors in winter and your northern doctors in summer -- with identical coverage and no administrative hassle.

Medicare Advantage plans are geographically restricted -- and this creates significant problems for snowbirds.

HMO plans: Restrict coverage to a defined service area. Outside the service area, only emergency and urgently needed care is covered. If you spend 5 months in Ohio with a Florida HMO plan, you have no coverage for routine or specialist care in Ohio.

PPO plans: Offer more flexibility -- out-of-network coverage is available, but at higher cost-sharing. Some MA PPO plans have national networks that work better for snowbirds, but coverage and costs vary significantly.

What "emergency care" covers: MA plans must cover emergency care anywhere in the country. But "emergency" has a specific definition -- a sudden, serious condition requiring immediate attention. Routine care, specialist visits, and non-urgent needs are not covered out-of-network under most HMO plans.

If you prefer Medicare Advantage, look for:

National PPO plans: Some MA plans -- particularly those offered by large national insurers -- have nationwide PPO networks that provide meaningful coverage in multiple states. Verify that providers in both your Florida and northern locations are in-network.

Dual-state enrollment: You cannot be enrolled in two MA plans simultaneously. You must choose one plan -- ideally one with coverage in both states.

Service area: Confirm the plan's service area covers your Florida county. If you move between counties or states, verify coverage in both locations.

Part D plans are also geographically based -- but most national pharmacy chains (CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Rite Aid) participate in most Part D networks nationwide. As long as you use a national chain pharmacy, your Part D coverage typically works in both states.

Mail-order pharmacies: An excellent option for snowbirds -- 90-day supplies delivered to whichever address you are currently at.

Update your address: Notify Social Security and Medicare when you move between states seasonally. Your primary address determines which plans are available to you.

Keep records in both locations: Maintain copies of your Medicare card, insurance cards, medication list, and key medical records in both homes.

Establish care in both locations: Having a primary care doctor in both Florida and your northern state ensures continuity of care year-round.

Review coverage annually: During AEP (October 15-December 7), review whether your current plan still meets your needs in both states.

We do not offer every plan available in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.