Open Enrollment Starts Tomorrow. Florida’s Medicare Advantage Market Just Got a Lot More Complicated.
Karla Radka has heard the same worry from Florida seniors every October for years. “Medicare can be a daunting subject for most people,” says Radka, President and CEO of Senior Resource Alliance, the Central Florida nonprofit that runs the state’s SHINE Medicare counseling program. This year, that statement carries more weight than usual.
Florida is losing 51 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, the largest single-year plan reduction of any state in the country. Several carriers have also seen their star ratings drop or slip. Open enrollment begins October 15 and ends December 7.
Why Florida’s Market Is So Disrupted Right Now
Humana is pulling out of plans that cover roughly 600,000 Medicare Advantage members nationwide, and Florida is among its largest markets. UnitedHealthcare is cutting plans in seven Florida counties: Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Lee, and Collier.
AvMed exited the Florida Medicare Advantage market entirely at the end of 2025, affecting more than 12,000 members. Health Care Service Corporation stopped offering MA plans in Miami-Dade County for 2027.
As a result, Florida’s Medicare Advantage plan count falls from 611 in 2026 to 560 for 2027. About 3 million Floridians are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, and tens of thousands are receiving non-renewal notices this fall.
The carriers that left didn’t pick plans at random. Humana said the exits targeted plans rated 3.5 stars or lower, meaning plans that weren’t performing on quality metrics and weren’t profitable. That brings us to why those stars matter more than most people realize.
What Medicare Star Ratings Actually Measure
Congress created Medicare Advantage in 2003, and CMS introduced the star rating system in 2008 to hold private insurers accountable for the quality of care they deliver to Medicare enrollees. CMS rates every Medicare Advantage plan on a scale of 1 to 5 stars and updates the ratings each year. The ratings draw on about 40 performance measures: how well plans manage chronic conditions, whether members get recommended screenings and vaccines, how quickly appeals are resolved, and how satisfied members are with their care.
Stars matter in two ways. First, they show how a plan performs across its membership. A 4-star plan generally handles claims, referrals, and customer service better than a 3-star plan. Second, a rating of 4 stars or higher qualifies the insurer for federal quality bonus payments. Those bonuses fund the extra benefits that make Medicare Advantage attractive: the $0 premiums, the dental and vision coverage, and the supplemental allowances. Plans below 4 stars don’t receive those bonuses.
Most people don’t know about a separate enrollment window. If a Medicare beneficiary finds a 5-star plan in their county, they can switch to it at any time from December 8 through November 30 of the following year, even if a completely different insurance company offers that plan. This window is called the 5-Star Special Enrollment Period.
The SEP serves one purpose: moving to a higher-rated plan. Beneficiaries cannot use it to switch between two plans of equal rating, or for any other reason. The destination must be a 5-star plan. Beneficiaries can use it once per period, and only if they haven’t already switched plans during the standard October 15–December 7 open enrollment window.
Florida Plans That Lost, and Gained, Stars for 2027
Several Florida Medicare Advantage contracts dropped in the 2027 star ratings. Florida Blue fell on both of its major contracts. UnitedHealthcare of Florida slipped from 4 to 3.5 stars, below the quality bonus threshold. Simply Healthcare Plans (Elevance) dropped from 4.5 to 4, and Gold Kidney Health Plan fell below 3 stars. On the other side, HealthSun Health Plans gained a full star, three Humana contracts improved, and Devoted Health climbed to 4.5.
| Plan / Contract | Parent Company | 2026 Stars | 2027 Stars | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5-STAR — ELIGIBLE FOR YEAR-ROUND 5-STAR SEP | ||||
| Longevity Health Plan of Florida | Longevity Health | 5 | 5 | Held |
| Leon Medical Centers Health Plan | Leon Health | 5 | 5 | Held |
| GAINED STARS | ||||
| HealthSun Health Plans | Elevance Health | 3.5 | 4.5 | +1.0 ⬆⬆ |
| Devoted Health Plan of Florida | Devoted Health | 4 | 4.5 | +0.5 ⬆ |
| Prominence HealthFirst of Florida | Prominence Health | N/A (new) | 4.5 | New entry |
| Humana Medical Plan, Inc. | Humana | 4 | 4.5 | +0.5 ⬆ |
| CarePlus Health Plans | Humana | 3.5 | 4 | +0.5 ⬆ |
| Humana Health Insurance Co. of Florida | Humana | 3 | 3.5 | +0.5 ⬆ |
| HELD | ||||
| Aetna Medicare (FL) | CVS/Aetna | 4 | 4 | Held |
| Sunshine State Health Plan | Wellcare/Centene | 4 | 4 | Held |
| LOST STARS | ||||
| Simply Healthcare Plans | Elevance Health | 4.5 | 4 | −0.5 ⬇ |
| Florida Blue Medicare HMO | Florida Blue (BCBS of FL) | 4 | 3.5 | −0.5 ⬇ |
| UnitedHealthcare of Florida | UnitedHealth Group | 4 | 3.5 | −0.5 ⬇ |
| Florida Blue (BCBS of FL) | Florida Blue (BCBS of FL) | 3.5 | 3 | −0.5 ⬇ |
| HealthSpring of Florida (Cigna/HCSC) | Cigna / HCSC | 3.5 | 3 | −0.5 ⬇ |
| Gold Kidney Health Plan of Florida | Gold Kidney Health | 3 | 2.5 | −0.5 ⬇ |
Source: Healthcare Finance News, CMS 2026 and 2027 Star Ratings data; Humana press release, October 2026. Contract-level ratings; a single insurer may hold multiple contracts serving different Florida counties. Plans rated N/R (not rated) or serving only institutional populations are excluded.
Several Florida plans gained ground. HealthSun Health Plans (Elevance) jumped a full star, from 3.5 to 4.5, the largest single-year gain among Florida contracts. Humana’s Medical Plan contract moved from 4 to 4.5. CarePlus, also owned by Humana, rose from 3.5 to 4. Devoted Health and the new entrant Prominence HealthFirst both sit at 4.5 stars.
Other plans lost ground. UnitedHealthcare of Florida dropped from 4 to 3.5, the same threshold below which Humana targeted its own exits. Simply Healthcare Plans (Elevance) fell from 4.5 to 4. Both Florida Blue contracts dropped, and Gold Kidney fell to 2.5.
The Enrollment Cap Some Plans Are Using
For 2027, CMS allowed Medicare Advantage plans to set enrollment caps for the first time, a hard ceiling on how many members a plan will accept. Once a capped plan fills up, it closes to new enrollees for the rest of the plan year. Plans cannot remove current members, but they turn away new applicants.
Nationally, 15 insurers set caps across 11 states for 2027. No Florida carriers appeared on that published list. Still, the mechanism exists, and plan availability can change during the enrollment period. Beneficiaries can check whether a specific plan is still accepting new members at medicare.gov/plan-compare or by contacting the plan directly.
Options Available Before December 7
Every Medicare Advantage plan must send an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) letter in September. That letter outlines any premium, benefit, or network changes that take effect January 1, 2027.
The Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov/plan-compare lets beneficiaries compare available plans by ZIP code, medication list, and preferred providers. It displays star ratings for each plan. Florida residents who want independent guidance at no cost can turn to the state’s SHINE program (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders), which provides free, unbiased counseling at 1-800-963-5337. The national Medicare helpline is 1-800-633-4227.
Beneficiaries who don’t find a suitable plan during the standard window have another option. The 5-Star Special Enrollment Period opens December 8 and stays available through November 30, 2027. It allows a one-time switch to any 5-star plan available in the beneficiary’s county, outside the standard enrollment window.
The Bottom Line
Florida’s Medicare Advantage market is in the middle of its largest reshuffling in years. Six Florida contracts lost star ratings for 2027, including both Florida Blue contracts and UnitedHealthcare of Florida. HealthSun gained a full star. Devoted Health, Humana Medical Plan, and CarePlus each gained half a star. Prominence HealthFirst enters as a new 4.5-star option.
The open enrollment window lasts fifty-four days. The Annual Notice of Change letter describes what is changing in a current plan, and the Medicare Plan Finder shows which alternatives are available by county. Both resources are available now.
If the plan renewal letter is still sitting unopened on the kitchen counter, this is the week to open it. Fifty-four days feels like a long time until it isn’t.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute insurance, legal, or financial advice. Star ratings, plan availability, and benefit details vary by county and insurer and are subject to change. Readers are encouraged to consult a licensed insurance professional or contact the Florida SHINE program for guidance specific to their situation.
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