Snowbirds

Ohio snowbirds and Medicare: spending winters in Florida

Original Medicare works the same in Ohio and Florida: you can see any doctor or hospital in the U.S. that accepts Medicare, and a Medigap policy goes with you. Medicare Advantage plans are tied to a service area. Away from it, most cover only emergency and urgent care, and if you're gone more than 6 months in a row the plan must disenroll you unless it offers a visitor or traveler option (42 CFR 422.74).

By the Benefits Life Editorial Team, licensed insurance agents · Reviewed November 13, 2026

Quick answers

Does my Ohio Medicare work in Florida?: Yes. Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) covers you with any provider in the U.S. who accepts Medicare. Medicare Advantage plans usually cover only emergency and urgent care outside their service area.
How long can I stay in Florida with an Ohio Medicare Advantage plan?: Up to 6 months in a row. After that the plan must disenroll you, unless it offers a visitor or traveler option, which can extend it to less than 12 months (42 CFR 422.74(d)(4)).
Does my Ohio Medigap policy work in Florida?: Yes. A standard Medigap policy pays its share wherever Original Medicare pays, in any state. Medicare SELECT policies have network rules, so check yours.
Can I fill prescriptions in Florida with my Ohio Part D plan?: Usually, at pharmacies in the plan's network there. Check your plan's pharmacy directory before you go, or set up mail order for drugs you take regularly.
Which state should I use for Medicare?: The state where you permanently live. Medicare Advantage and Part D plans enroll you based on your permanent residence, so you join plans where your legal home is.

Original Medicare and Medigap: the same in both states

Medicare.gov says that with Original Medicare you can use any doctor or hospital that takes Medicare, anywhere in the U.S. That includes all 50 states, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. territories. You pay the same Part B premium and deductible ($202.90 a month and $283 a year for most people in 2026) whether your doctor is in Columbus or Sarasota.

Medigap goes with you. A standard Medigap policy pays its share of any Medicare-approved care in any state. The federal Medigap guide says you can generally keep your policy wherever you live, as long as you have Original Medicare.
Medicare SELECT is the exception. These Medigap policies use a hospital network (sometimes doctors too) for full benefits, outside emergencies. Check whether yours is a SELECT policy.
Part D is separate. You add a standalone drug plan. Ohio has 9 standalone Part D plans for 2027.

More on Medigap in Ohio, including Ohio's lack of a yearly switching right: buying or changing Medigap later can mean health questions.

Medicare Advantage: networks and service areas

A Medicare Advantage plan serves a set of counties. In 2027, Ohio has 119 Medicare Advantage plans open to everyone statewide, but each plan's network is built around its Ohio service area. When you're in Florida:

Plan type	Routine care in Florida	Emergencies and urgent care
HMO	Generally not covered outside the network, except temporary out-of-area dialysis	Covered
PPO	Covered out of network with Medicare providers, usually at a higher cost; check with the plan first	Covered
Plan with a visitor or traveler option	Covered in the areas and with the providers the plan names	Covered

Medicare Advantage plans may offer extra benefits such as dental, vision, hearing or fitness. Extra benefits vary by plan and county, may have limits and costs, and not every plan offers them. Check a plan's Summary of Benefits or Evidence of Coverage.

The 6-month rule and visitor or traveler options

Under 42 CFR 422.74(d)(4)(ii), if you haven't moved but have been away from your Medicare Advantage plan's service area for more than 6 months, the plan must disenroll you. Section 422.74(d)(4)(iii) lets a plan offer a visitor or traveler benefit to members who are out of the area but in the U.S. for more than 6 and less than 12 months in a row; then you're disenrolled on the first day of the 13th month.

Plans aren't required to offer it, and may limit it to certain areas and providers.
Whether your plan has one is a plan benefit: check its Evidence of Coverage or call the plan.
Mail matters: the rule says a plan can treat you as temporarily absent if its required mailings come back undeliverable with no forwarding address. Keep mail forwarding active while you're in Florida.

If you're disenrolled for being away too long, you return to Original Medicare. Under Ohio's Medigap rules you may face health questions buying a Medigap policy then, so plan before the winter, not after.

Prescriptions in Florida

Network pharmacies: many Part D plans have pharmacy networks in other states. Look up pharmacies near your Florida address in your plan's directory before you leave.
Out-of-network: 42 CFR 423.124 requires plans to cover out-of-network fills only when you can't reasonably use a network pharmacy and don't do it routinely. Don't count on it for regular refills.
Mail order: if your plan offers it, have maintenance drugs shipped to your Florida address while you're there.
The 12-month limit: a standalone Part D plan must disenroll you after more than 12 consecutive months away (42 CFR 423.44(d)(5)(ii)). A Medicare Advantage plan's drug coverage follows the 6-month rule above.
Cost cap: in 2026, out-of-pocket costs for covered Part D drugs are capped at $2,100 for the year, wherever you fill them in the plan's network.

Keeping Ohio as home, or moving

To join a Medicare Advantage plan you must live in its service area (42 CFR 422.50(a)(3)), so your permanent residence decides whether you buy Ohio or Florida plans. Medicare.gov says your official address with Medicare is the one Social Security has.

If you decide to move to Florida permanently:

Update your address with Social Security. Use your my Social Security account or call 1-800-772-1213.
Use the move Special Enrollment Period. Under 42 CFR 422.62(b)(2), a permanent move out of your plan's service area lets you change Medicare Advantage or Part D plans. Medicare.gov says it starts the month before you move if you tell your plan in advance, and lasts 2 full months after the move.
Keep or buy Medigap. You can generally keep your Medigap policy. If you're leaving a Medicare Advantage plan because you moved out of its area and go to Original Medicare, you have a guaranteed right to buy certain Medigap policies for up to 63 days after that coverage ends.
Reapply for Medicaid help in Florida. Ohio Medicaid and Ohio's Medicare Premium Assistance Programs require Ohio residency.

See staying in Ohio vs. wintering in Florida for a side-by-side look.

Ohio Medicaid, MyCare Ohio and time away

Ohio Medicaid's rule (OAC 5160:1-1-01) treats your residence as the home you intend to return to. A temporary absence doesn't change residence if your location is known, you have a definite plan to return and you lived in the Ohio home just before leaving. But Ohio Medicaid generally covers out-of-state care only for emergencies or with prior approval, so if you have Ohio Medicaid and plan to spend winters in Florida, ask your county Job and Family Services office before you go.

If you're in MyCare Ohio or another dual eligible special needs plan, it's a Medicare Advantage plan, so the 6-month rule applies too. Call the Ohio Medicaid Consumer Hotline at 1-800-324-8680 with questions.

Get help

Medicare: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY 1-877-486-2048).
Social Security (address changes, Part B): 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).
Licensed insurance agents: to compare plans from the companies they work with for a two-state life, you can request a call from a licensed insurance agent, or see plans for your ZIP code.

Sources

Every question in this guide

Frequently asked questions

Does Medicare cover me outside the United States?

Usually not. Medicare.gov says Original Medicare covers care outside the U.S. only in rare cases, and Medicare drug plans don't cover drugs bought abroad. Medigap Plans C, D, F, G, M and N pay 80% of emergency care abroad for the first 60 days of each trip, after a $250 yearly deductible, up to $50,000 in a lifetime.

How long can I be away from my plan's service area before I lose my plan?

For Medicare Advantage, more than 6 consecutive months means the plan must disenroll you, unless it offers a visitor or traveler option, under which you're disenrolled on the first day of the 13th month. For a standalone Part D plan, the limit is more than 12 consecutive months.

What is a Medicare Advantage visitor or travel program?

Federal rules let a Medicare Advantage plan offer members who are away from the service area, but still in the U.S., the option to stay enrolled for more than 6 and less than 12 months. Plans don't have to offer it, may limit it to certain areas and providers, and must cover all Part A and B services there. Ask your plan or read its Evidence of Coverage.

Do I need to change my address with Social Security if I winter in Florida?

Your official Medicare address is the one Social Security has, and it should be your permanent home. If you keep your Ohio home, keep your Ohio address and forward mail. If you move to Florida for good, update it with Social Security.

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