Florida is losing more Medicare Advantage plans for 2027 than any other state: 611 plans in 2026 drop to 560 in 2027. That’s the headline, but for most Floridians the bigger risk this year isn’t losing a plan. It’s keeping a plan and losing the hospital.
Lee Health, AdventHealth, and NCH have each announced changes to which Medicare Advantage plans they’ll accept starting January 1, 2027. If you live in Southwest or Central Florida, check your hospital before you check your premium.
You have until December 7, 2026 to make a change. Coverage starts January 1, 2027.
Florida’s 2027 Numbers at a Glance
| Florida | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Medicare Advantage plans available statewide | 611 | 560 |
| Average monthly Medicare Advantage premium | $1.83 | $2.13 |
| Most a plan can charge in-network (out-of-pocket ceiling) | $9,250 | $9,850 |
| Part D yearly out-of-pocket cap | $2,100 | $2,400 |
Every Floridian with Medicare still has access to a $0 premium Medicare Advantage plan in 2027. More than 5.3 million Floridians are enrolled in Medicare, so a 51-plan drop touches a lot of households even though choices remain wide in most counties.
The Hospital Changes Florida Seniors Need to Know
A Medicare Advantage plan is only as good as the hospitals in its network. These are the Florida changes announced for January 1, 2027, as of mid-October 2026. Some of these could still be resolved by a new contract, so confirm before you decide.
Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and Lee County: Lee Health and UnitedHealthcare
Lee Health is ending its hospital and physician contracts with UnitedHealthcare. Starting January 1, 2027, Lee Health will be out of network for UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage members, along with UHC employer and individual plans. Lee Health cited prior authorization and denial problems, saying roughly a third of its medical necessity denials come from UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans. If Lee Health is where you get care and you’re in a UHC or AARP Medicare Advantage plan, this is the year to compare.
Naples and Collier County: NCH, HealthSpring, and Wellcare
Starting January 1, 2027, NCH will no longer accept the Medicare Advantage plans it lists as Cigna (now sold under the HealthSpring name) or Wellcare Medicare Advantage plans. NCH says its doctors and elective hospital services won’t schedule appointments for members of those plans after that date. Emergency care is still available.
Orlando and Central Florida: AdventHealth and UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare ended its contract with AdventHealth. Unless the two reach a new agreement, AdventHealth hospitals, doctors, and nurses will be out of network for UnitedHealthcare members starting January 1, 2027. The current agreement runs through December 31, 2026.
Tampa Bay: Florida Blue Medicare HMOs and VitalMD
Florida Blue and VitalMD signed a new multi-year deal in August 2026, but it covers Florida Blue’s Medicare Advantage PPO plans, not its Medicare HMOs. VitalMD is out of network for all Florida Blue Medicare HMO products. If your doctor is with VitalMD, the plan type you pick matters.
Miami-Dade: HealthSpring Pulls Out
Health Care Service Corporation, which owns HealthSpring, will no longer offer Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage in Miami-Dade County for 2027. HealthSpring members there should have received a non-renewal letter and need to choose new coverage.
Which Carriers Are Pulling Back in Florida
Nearly every large carrier in Florida is reshaping its lineup for 2027. Most of these moves are national, and your Annual Notice of Change is the only place that says exactly what happens to your plan.
- Humana is ending plans that cover about 600,000 members nationwide, mostly plans rated 3.5 stars or lower. Florida is one of Humana’s largest markets. Non-renewal letters went out in early October.
- UnitedHealthcare is cutting 34 PPOs nationally and leaning toward HMOs, on top of the Lee Health and AdventHealth disputes above.
- HealthSpring (owned by HCSC) has cut its Medicare Advantage footprint roughly in half nationally and is rebuilding around HMOs.
- Wellcare (owned by Centene) is leaving 344 counties nationally and posted the steepest average out-of-pocket increase among the major carriers, about 16%.
- Aetna is cutting 20 PPOs nationally while adding chronic condition plans.
- Devoted Health is moving the other direction, entering 342 new counties nationally. Check whether it’s new in yours.
Why a $0 Premium Isn’t the Whole Story in 2027
Florida already has some of the lowest Medicare Advantage premiums in the country, averaging just over $2 a month. That means premium is almost never what separates one Florida plan from another. What separates them is what you pay when you’re sick.
For 2027, the highest out-of-pocket limit a plan can set rises to $9,850 for in-network care, and $14,800 combined for PPOs that cover out-of-network care. The typical plan with drug coverage moves from $5,900 to $6,500. About six in ten returning plans raised that number.
Two plans with the same $0 premium can be thousands of dollars apart in a year with a hospital stay. Look at the daily inpatient copay and the out-of-pocket maximum side by side. If that gap would hurt, a hospital indemnity or cancer plan can soften it, but those are underwritten and may not be available after a diagnosis.
Drug Coverage: What Changes for Floridians
The yearly Part D cap rises from $2,100 to $2,400, and the standard deductible from $615 to $700. Florida has 11 standalone drug plans for 2027, with premiums starting at $5.30 a month.
If you’re on Original Medicare with a standalone drug plan, this is worth a look: CMS says about 53% of Floridians in a standalone plan can find one with a lower premium than they paid in 2026. Run your exact prescriptions and pharmacy through Plan Finder, since formularies and preferred pharmacies change every year.
Lost Your Plan or Your Hospital? Your Options Are Different
This is the part most Floridians get wrong. Losing your plan and losing your hospital sound similar, but they give you very different rights.
If your plan is ending
You can pick another Medicare Advantage plan by December 7, and you also get a special enrollment period that runs through the end of February. Or you can return to Original Medicare and buy certain Medicare Supplement plans, including Plan G, with no health questions. That guaranteed-issue window opens 60 days before your plan ends and closes 63 days after. It only applies if you go back to Original Medicare.
If your plan continues but your hospital is leaving the network
You can still switch to another Medicare Advantage plan that includes your hospital, or return to Original Medicare, during Annual Enrollment. But a hospital leaving your network does not by itself give you a guaranteed-issue Medigap right. Florida has no birthday rule, so a Medicare Supplement application in that situation can involve health questions. If you’re considering Medigap, apply before you drop your Advantage plan, not after.
Questions Florida Seniors Are Asking
Why does Florida have fewer Medicare Advantage plans in 2027?
Carriers are cutting lower-rated and less profitable plans, especially PPOs. Florida drops from 611 plans to 560, the largest decline of any state, though most counties still have many choices.
Is Lee Health in network with UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage in 2027?
Not as announced. Lee Health is ending its UnitedHealthcare contracts, and its hospitals and physicians are scheduled to be out of network for UHC Medicare Advantage members starting January 1, 2027, unless a new agreement is reached.
Will AdventHealth accept UnitedHealthcare in 2027?
Only if the two sign a new contract. Without one, AdventHealth goes out of network for UnitedHealthcare members on January 1, 2027.
If my hospital leaves my plan, can I get a Medigap plan without health questions?
Usually not. A hospital leaving the network doesn’t create a guaranteed-issue right. Your plan itself leaving Medicare does. In Florida, Medigap applications outside a guaranteed-issue window can include health questions.
What’s the deadline to change my Florida Medicare plan for 2027?
December 7, 2026. New coverage starts January 1, 2027. If you’re already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one more change from January 1 to March 31.
Check Your Doctors and Hospital Before December 7
I’ll check your doctors, your hospital, and your prescriptions against the 2027 plans in your Florida county and tell you plainly whether your current plan still fits. Call 512-844-3983. There’s no cost for the review.
Book a Medicare ReviewWritten and reviewed by Scott Bowling, independent Medicare broker licensed in Florida, Trusted SR Solutions. NPN 20428021. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent [X] organizations which offer [X] products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or Florida SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) to get information on all of your options. Trusted SR Solutions is not connected with or endorsed by the United States government or the federal Medicare program.
Sources
- CMS: 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D state-by-state fact sheets
- Becker’s Payer: The states losing the most Medicare Advantage plans in 2027
- Becker’s: Lee Health to go out of network for UnitedHealthcare members
- WINK News: Lee Health ending contracts with UnitedHealthcare starting in 2027
- NCH: Medicare Advantage update for 2027
- WDBO: UnitedHealthcare members face loss of in-network access to AdventHealth in 2027
- The Capitolist: Florida Blue and VitalMD reach contract agreement
- KFF: Medicare Advantage plan availability varies widely by county for 2027
- Becker’s Payer: HCSC halved its Medicare Advantage footprint
- Becker’s Payer: Medicare Advantage looks stable for 2027, underneath it’s shifting
- Insurance Business: Humana exits affect 600,000 members
- Benefits USA: typical Medicare Advantage out-of-pocket limit rises $600 in 2027
- Benefits USA: 2027 Medicare Advantage out-of-pocket maximum