Medicare Plans That Replaced AvMed in Florida 2026

When AvMed announced it was ending its Medicare Advantage program in Florida, the question every member asked us was the same: "So what do I do now?"

The longer version of that question is usually: "What plans are available where I live? Which ones cover my doctor? Which ones cover my prescriptions without me paying a fortune? Are any of them as good as what I had?"

We can't answer those questions for everyone in a blog post — every situation is different and Medicare plans vary by your specific ZIP code, doctors, and medications. But what we can do is give you a clear, honest map of the Medicare Advantage landscape in South Florida after AvMed's exit, so you know what carriers are operating here and what to look at when you compare.

This post is the "what's out there" companion to our What to Do Now post. If you haven't read that one yet, start there — it covers what AvMed members should be doing right now regardless of which plan they're considering.

A few things we won't do in this post

Before we dive in, we want to be upfront about what this post is and isn't.

We will not rank these carriers. "Best plan" doesn't exist as a universal answer in Medicare. The best plan for a 67-year-old with two prescriptions and a primary care doctor in Kendall is not the same as the best plan for a 72-year-old with a cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic and ten medications. Anyone who tells you "Plan X is the best" without knowing your details is either selling you something or not paying attention.

We will not recommend specific plans. Recommending plans is a job that requires a licensed agent to review your specific health needs, doctors, prescriptions, and budget — it cannot ethically happen in a blog post. What we can do is describe the carriers and let you see what's available.

We will not exaggerate benefits. Carriers' benefits change every year. A $0 premium plan in 2026 may not be a $0 premium plan in 2027. Specific benefits described below are general patterns based on the carriers' Florida plans — your specific plan options depend on your ZIP code and may differ.

Okay. With that out of the way:

The major Medicare Advantage carriers in South Florida

These are the carriers with significant Medicare Advantage presence in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and surrounding counties. The Health Experts is contracted with all of them, so we can compare across them when we sit down with you.

Humana

Humana is one of the largest Medicare Advantage carriers in the country and has a deep presence in Florida. Their plans here often include:

●        Plans with $0 monthly premiums in many South Florida ZIP codes

●        Prescription drug coverage built into most Medicare Advantage plans

●        Dental, vision, and hearing benefits on many plans

●        OTC and grocery card allowances on certain plans

●        Networks that include many major South Florida hospital systems

Humana also operates CenterWell, their own primary care clinics, which some members find convenient when their plan includes those clinics in-network.

UnitedHealthcare

UnitedHealthcare offers Medicare Advantage plans in Florida — many under the AARP brand. Their footprint includes:

●        One of the broadest networks in South Florida

●        Access to major systems including Baptist Health and Cleveland Clinic Florida (verify by ZIP code and plan)

●        Renew Active fitness benefit (gym membership) on many plans

●        Telehealth and virtual care options

●        $0 premium plans available in many areas

UnitedHealthcare partners with AARP for some plans, which carries name recognition many seniors value.

Aetna

Aetna (now part of CVS Health) has expanded its Florida Medicare Advantage offerings significantly in recent years:

●        Plans with $0 or low premiums in many counties

●        Integration with CVS pharmacy locations for prescription coverage

●        SilverSneakers fitness benefit on many plans

●        Dental, vision, and hearing coverage on many plans

●        Allowance benefits on certain plans

The CVS pharmacy connection can be helpful for members who already fill prescriptions at CVS — though every plan has its own preferred pharmacy network, so always verify.

Cigna HealthSpring

Cigna offers Medicare Advantage plans in South Florida through its HealthSpring division:

●        $0 premium plans available in Miami-Dade and Broward in many ZIP codes

●        Chronic condition support programs for members with diabetes, heart conditions, and similar

●        Dental and vision benefits on many plans

●        Healthy Today card (OTC purchases) on certain plans

●        Strong formulary coverage including some specialty medications

Cigna HealthSpring has historically had a strong presence with bilingual member services in Florida.

Devoted Health

Devoted Health is a newer entrant compared to the legacy carriers but has been growing quickly in Florida:

●        Technology-forward member experience (app-based tools, easy provider search)

●        $0 premium plans available in many South Florida ZIP codes

●        Devoted Helper service that pairs members with a personal guide

●        Generous extra benefits on certain plans (varies by county)

●        Strong star ratings in recent years

Devoted is worth knowing about specifically because their member experience is different from the older carriers — easier to navigate digitally, which some members like and some find less personal.

WellCare

WellCare (a Centene company) offers Medicare Advantage plans across Florida:

●        $0 premium plans available in many counties

●        Dual eligible (Medicare and Medicaid) plan options for qualifying members

●        Vision, hearing, and dental benefits on many plans

●        OTC and flex card benefits on certain plans

●        Strong presence in markets where some other carriers may be lighter

WellCare is sometimes overlooked but has competitive offerings, particularly for members who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid (D-SNP plans).

Other carriers worth knowing

A few other carriers operate Medicare Advantage plans in parts of South Florida:

●        CarePlus (subsidiary of Humana) — separate plans, separate networks

●        Doctors HealthCare Plans (DHCP) — South Florida-focused plans

●        Preferred Care Partners (subsidiary of UnitedHealthcare) — separate plans, separate networks

●        HealthSun — South Florida-based MA carrier

●        Simply Healthcare — Florida-based, focused on dual-eligible members

Some of these only operate in specific counties or have specific eligibility (like dual-eligible plans), so availability depends on your situation.

How to actually compare them

The list above is interesting context, but it doesn't tell you anything about your situation. To know which of these plans actually fits your life, you (or someone helping you) needs to check four specific things for each plan you're considering:

1. Are your doctors in-network?

This is non-negotiable. If your primary care doctor or specialists aren't in a plan's network, you'll either pay out-of-pocket to see them or have to find new doctors. We verify this in real time before recommending anything — not based on directories from last year.

2. Are your prescriptions on the formulary, and at what cost?

Every plan has its own list of covered drugs (the formulary) and its own tiering system (how much each drug costs you). Two plans that both technically "cover" your medication can charge you very different amounts. If you take several medications, this can be the single biggest cost factor in choosing a plan.

3. What's the total cost picture, not just the premium?

A $0 premium plan can end up costing you more than a $50 premium plan if it has higher copays, higher specialist visits, higher prescription costs, or a higher max out-of-pocket. Look at the full picture:

●        Monthly premium

●        Primary care visit copay

●        Specialist visit copay

●        Inpatient hospital cost

●        Annual max out-of-pocket

●        Prescription tiers and costs

4. Do the extra benefits actually matter to you?

A plan with a $200 quarterly grocery card sounds great, until you realize it can only be used at certain stores you don't shop at. Dental benefits are nice, but if your dentist doesn't take the plan's dental network, the benefit may go unused. We help members focus on the extra benefits they'll actually use, not just the ones that sound impressive on a sales sheet.

Why work with a broker for this decision

Here's the honest part. You can do this comparison yourself. Medicare.gov has a plan finder tool. Each carrier has a website with their plans listed. You can call a carrier directly and an agent will help you enroll.

So why use a broker?

A few reasons:

A broker compares across all carriers in one visit. A carrier's own agent can only enroll you in their plan. A broker like us can show you Humana and UHC and Aetna and Cigna and Devoted side-by-side and tell you the differences honestly. We have the same data they have, but we're not committed to one carrier.

A broker checks your doctors and medications before you enroll. This is one of the most common mistakes when seniors enroll directly with a carrier — they trust that the plan covers their doctor without verifying, and then find out three months later that it doesn't. We verify before you sign.

A broker is free to you. Brokers are paid by the carriers, not by the member. There is no cost difference between enrolling through us versus enrolling directly. (Some carriers may slightly prefer you enroll direct, but the price you pay is the same either way.)

A broker stays with you year after year. Carriers change their benefits every year. Your prescription list changes. Your doctors change. A broker who has your file can help you re-evaluate every fall during Annual Enrollment — direct enrollees usually don't get that level of attention.

The CMS rules require us to give you a Scope of Appointment form before we can review specific plans with you. That's a quick form that just says "I agree to discuss Medicare Advantage and Part D plans." Standard part of the process, nothing scary.

Let's compare for you

The Health Experts Insurance is licensed in Florida and contracted with every major Medicare Advantage carrier in the state. We're bilingual (English and Spanish), based in Doral, and we've helped hundreds of AvMed members find new plans since the announcement.

We'll do a free, honest plan comparison based on your doctors, your medications, your budget, and your priorities. No pressure, no sales pitch, no obligation to enroll.

📞 Call us at 1-800-380-6821 or book a free consultation online.

If you're not sure where to start, that's exactly what we're here for.