Best Cheap Medicare Plans in Florida
Find Cheap Medicare Plans in Your Area
AARP/UnitedHealthcare has the best overall Medicare Advantage plans in Florida because of its good customer satisfaction and affordability. If you're only looking for prescription drug coverage, CVS/Aetna has a good value on Medicare Part D plans in Florida.
The average cost of Medicare Advantage in Florida is $23 per month, and the average cost of Medicare Part D is $47 per month.
How we chose the best FL Medicare plans
Our data-backed recommendations are based on Florida Medicare policy comparisons for average cost, coverage, availability, customer satisfaction, star ratings and plan details. When there was a tie, we deferred to the plan that has the best-rated parent company.
Florida Medicare Advantage quality and cost comparison
There are several high-rated companies offering plans in Florida. The best Medicare Advantage plan for you will be one that's available in your area, has a price that fits your budget and has a high star rating. While $0 policies are available from every insurer, only Florida Blue, UnitedHealthcare and Humana offer these in every Florida county.
Company | Rating | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Health Plan (Guidewell) | $44 | |
| CarePlus Health Plans (Humana) | $4 | |
| Freedom Health Inc. (Anthem) | $10 | |
| Optimum HealthCare (Anthem) | $14 | |
| Simply Healthcare Plans (Anthem) | $14 | |
| AvMed Medicare | $0 | |
| Florida Blue HMO (Guidewell) | $7 | |
| Cigna | $8 |
Average cost is based on Medicare Advantage plans in Florida with prescription drug coverage, and the star rating is the national average on Medicare.gov.
Best Florida Medicare Advantage plans
The best Medicare Advantage plans in Florida are from AARP/UnitedHealthcare, Capital Health Plan and Humana.
Medicare Advantage, also called Medicare Part C, is a popular way to simplify coverage by providing a single policy for medical care, hospitals, prescription drugs and other health care benefits. In Florida, about 51% of Medicare enrollees are signed up for a Medicare Advantage plan.
Remember that many Medicare Advantage plans are available for a $0 monthly premium, but the benefits, coinsurance and deductible amount will vary. The cheapest plan for you will match your health care needs to the level of benefits offered. If you expect to have high-cost medical needs, you can save money by choosing a policy with a small deductible and lower coinsurance.
UnitedHealthcare/AARP has the best Medicare Advantage plans in Florida, balancing good coverage and affordable prices.
In Florida, the average cost of a Medicare Advantage plan from UnitedHealthcare is $16 per month, and the company offers $0 plans in every county. Whether the policy name says AARP or UnitedHealthcare, the plan is from UnitedHealthcare.
UnitedHealthcare is a large insurance company that gives you an expansive network of 1.3 million health care professionals and 6,500 hospitals and medical facilities. This maximizes your choice of doctors, whether you're in Florida or traveling. Plus, the company is well rated on Medicare.gov, with an above-average score of 3.8 stars nationwide.
The downside is that the company has a slightly higher rate of complaints than average. According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), UnitedHealth Group has 22% more complaints than is typical for an insurer of its size. The company also has slightly below average customer satisfaction, according to J.D. Power's survey of Medicare Advantage policyholders.
Capital Health Plan (an affiliate of Blue Cross Blue Shield and Guidewell) is the highest-rated Medicare Advantage company in Florida.
On Medicare.gov, the company has 5 out of 5 stars, which few companies achieve. It's also the best-rated insurance company in Florida, according to the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). Its overall score is 4.5 out of 5, and the company received 5 stars for access to care, coordination of care and satisfaction with services.
Keep in mind plans are only available in seven counties in the middle of the panhandle: Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty and Wakulla. However, if you live in the Tallahassee region where Capital Health Plan is available, you'll have access to top-rated coverage.
There are three HMO plans available in each county. Silver Advantage is the cheapest plan, at $0 per month. The Advantage Plus plan costs $35 per month, and the Preferred Advantage plan is $97 per month.
Humana is the most popular Medicare Advantage provider in Florida.
About 19% of enrollees have the Humana Gold Plus HMO plan. Another 9% of enrollees have HMO plans from the Humana subsidiary, CarePlus CareOne.
Humana's customers are very satisfied with their plans, according to J.D. Power. The only company with better satisfaction nationally is Kaiser Permanente, which doesn't sell plans in Florida.
However, Humana does have a high rate of complaints, receiving about 31% more complaints than is typical for an insurer of its size according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
Most popular Medicare Advantage plans in Florida
Even though there are dozens of plans to choose from, 53% of all Medicare Advantage policyholders in Florida are enrolled in just five plans.
Medicare Advantage plan | Popularity in Florida |
|---|---|
| Humana Gold Plus | 19% |
| UnitedHealthcare Preferred Choice | 11% |
| Humana CarePlus CareOne | 9% |
| UnitedHealthcare Nursing Home Plan | 8% |
| WellCare Dividend | 6% |
Enrollment is shown as a percentage of all Medicare Advantage policyholders in Florida.
How to choose the best Medicare Advantage plan for you
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Compare quotes for the plans available in your area to find the best quality plan at the lowest cost.
- Match your health care needs to your plan selection so you're getting the best deal on the total cost of your health care and insurance.
- Consider the plan's specialty care components if you want to make sure you have coverage for skilled nursing, physical therapy, dental care or something else.
- Review HMO plans if you want cheaper rates for in-network doctors and facilities. But note that these plans usually require referrals from a primary care physician before you're covered for a specialist appointment.
- Check that your medications are covered by the company's drug formulary so you can minimize how much you pay out of pocket for prescription drugs.
Best Medicare Part D plans in Florida
CVS/Aetna, Clear Spring Health and AARP/UnitedHealthcare have the best Medicare Part D plans in Florida.
Medicare Part D is a stand-alone plan for prescription coverage that can be added on to Original Medicare (Parts A and B). The average cost of Medicare Part D in Florida is $47 per month. We recommend that all Medicare enrollees have some type of prescription drug coverage because medication costs can add up quickly. For example, cancer medications can cost more than $10,000 per month without insurance.
CVS Health and its subsidiaries, Aetna and SilverScript, offer the best overall Medicare Part D plans in Florida.
The prescription plans are a good value, balancing strong ratings with reasonable costs. The company's Part D plans have an average of 3.8 stars on Medicare.gov. That ranks as the second-best rating in Florida. And the plans are a good deal, 45% cheaper than the top-rated plans, at about $32 per month.
CVS Health is also the most popular Medicare Part D provider in the country, with 23% of all enrollment.
Plus, the benefits are strong. All plans offer free 30-day supplies of preferred generic drugs after you meet your deductible, making your regular medications more affordable. Enrollees get access to CVS Caremark, a great digital platform for managing your prescription drugs. One downside is the mail-order pharmacy program, which is poorly ranked by J.D. Power.
Clear Spring Health has the cheapest Medicare Part D plans in Florida.
In Florida, the average cost of a Clear Spring Health Medicare Part D plan is $20 per month, which is 57% cheaper than average. Plus, you can get a plan for as little as $13 per month with a $445 drug deductible.
These affordable plans can also provide good coverage, helping you reduce your prescription drug costs. With the Clear Spring Health Premier Rx plan, generic drugs are not subject to a deductible. If you go to a preferred pharmacy, you pay between $1 and $3 to fill a prescription for a 30-day supply of a generic medication.
However, the trade-off is that Clear Spring Health is not as highly rated as other companies. It has a rating of 3.0 stars on Medicare.gov, which is lower than many other options. This means enrollees could face frustrations with prescription coverage or customer service.
AARP/UnitedHealthcare has the best-rated Medicare Part D plans in Florida, with an average rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars.
However, costs are also high, averaging $59 per month in Florida.
The company offers three prescription plans in Florida. The cheapest is the AARP MedicareRx Walgreens, which costs an average of $35 per month. The best coverage is through the AARP MedicareRx Preferred plan, which costs about $89 per month, but there is no deductible to meet.
AARP has a marketing relationship with UnitedHealthcare, so even if your plan says AARP, you are getting insurance through UnitedHealthcare.
UnitedHealthcare is a large insurance company, providing coverage and brand recognition across the country. However, the overall company receives 22% more complaints than is typical for an insurer of its size, according to the NAIC.
How to choose the best Medicare Part D plan for you
- Match your prescription needs to your plan choice by comparing plans according to your total out-of-pocket costs. For example, you may have lower overall costs if you spend more on monthly premiums for a Part D plan to get better prices on medications.
- Check the plan’s drug formulary to make sure you'll have coverage for medications you take regularly.
- Look for convenience benefits such as prescription delivery and easy plan management.
Medicare Part D plans in Florida
Company | Rating | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
| Aetna Medicare (CVS) | $32 | |
| Humana | $43 | |
| UnitedHealthcare | $59 | |
| Florida Blue (Guidewell) | $123 | |
| Express Scripts Medicare | $46 | |
| Elixir Insurance (Rite Aid) | $62 | |
| Cigna | $38 | |
| WellCare | $35 |
Star ratings are the national average for Medicare Part D plans.
Florida Medicare enrollment statistics
Medicare enrollees in Florida: 4.6 million
Number of Medicare providers operating in Florida: 36
Average monthly cost in Florida:
- Medicare Advantage: $22.80
- Medicare Part D: $47.28
Medicare Advantage enrollment (enrollment as a percentage of all Medicare beneficiaries)
- National average: 42%
- Florida: 51%
- Miami-Dade County: 73%
- Broward County: 61%
- Palm Beach County: 44%
- Sarasota County: 37%
- Okaloosa County: 25%
- Monroe County: 16%
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Medicare Advantage plan in Florida?
We recommend AARP/UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage as the best overall provider in Florida. The company offers $0 plans in every Florida county. Plus, it is well rated and has in-network providers across the country.
How do you apply for Medicare in Florida?
You can apply for Medicare through the Social Security Administration, and if you're eligible, you'll receive a Medicare card. When you want to enroll in a plan, you can sign up through Medicare.gov or directly through an insurance company.
Can you apply for Medicare online in Florida?
Yes, Florida residents can sign up for Medicare online and request price quotes to compare coverage options. We recommend signing up for Medicare during your initial enrollment period when you turn 65, and then you can update your coverage each fall during open enrollment.
How many people have Medicare Advantage plans in Florida?
Approximately 51% of Medicare beneficiaries in Florida have a Medicare Advantage plan. The rate is higher in some counties. For instance, Medicare Advantage policyholders total 73% in Miami-Dade County. Other counties, like Okaloosa, have just 25% of beneficiaries enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan.
Methodology
Cost, quality and enrollment data for Medicare Part C and Part D are based on 2022 data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Comparisons used the most recent data available. Note that quality data reflects nationwide averages by company, while costs and enrollment are specific to Florida.
Our analysis also uses complaint data collected by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and Medicare ratings for plans from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). We also looked at customer satisfaction data from J.D. Power for Medicare Advantage plans and mail-order prescriptions.
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