Medicare Advantage Help in Tampa Bay
We work FOR clients, not insurance companies.
Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas
Medicare Advantage in Tampa Bay, side by side
ProCare Consulting is an independent insurance agency in Land O’ Lakes, Florida, serving Tampa Bay. We help you compare Medicare Advantage plans in Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, checking your doctors, prescriptions and extra benefits. We also explain when you can change plans. Our help is at zero cost to you.
For people in Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas who have a Medicare Advantage plan now, or who are thinking about one.
Medicare Advantage plans in Tampa change every year. A plan that was a good fit last year may not be this year. A careful review each fall helps keep surprises out of January.
Quick answers
- You can change Medicare Advantage plans October 15 to December 7.
- If you are already in a plan, you get a second chance January 1 to March 31.
- We compare plans across many insurance companies.
- Plan lists and networks differ from county to county.
Every fall
The yearly plan letter arrives
Each fall, Medicare Advantage members get a notice about what will change in their plan next year. It is long, and the important parts are easy to miss.
Maybe a copay changes. Maybe a drug moves to a different tier. Maybe a doctor leaves the network. You may not notice until you are at the pharmacy counter in January.
Across Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas, plans and networks differ by county. What your neighbor has may not be offered in your ZIP code.
How plans change
Why your plan deserves a yearly look
Medicare Advantage plans are offered by private insurance companies as HMO or PPO options. Each one sets its own network, drug list and extra benefits for the year.
Those details can change every plan year. That is why the fall enrollment season matters. It is your main chance to compare and switch before the new year starts.
Original Medicare with a supplement is another path. Our guide to Original Medicare versus Medicare Advantage in Florida explains how the two differ.
Two paths
Medicare Advantage or Original Medicare with a supplement
Medicare Advantage is one private plan that covers your Part A and Part B care, and usually your drugs. Original Medicare with a supplement keeps the government coverage and adds a Medigap policy to help with your share. The big differences are doctor choice, referrals, drug coverage, extra benefits and how easy it is to switch later.
| Topic | Medicare Advantage | Original Medicare with a supplement |
|---|---|---|
| Doctors and hospitals | In many plans, you use the plan’s network for routine care | Any doctor or hospital in the U.S. that takes Medicare |
| Referrals | Some plans need a referral to see a specialist | In most cases, no referral |
| Drug coverage | Most plans include it | Join a separate Part D drug plan |
| Extra benefits | Plans may offer some vision, hearing and dental | Original Medicare does not cover most of these |
| Switching later | Set enrollment times each year | Outside your one-time Medigap Open Enrollment, a supplement may ask health questions, cost more or turn you down |
These points come from Medicare.gov’s page that compares Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage and its Medigap buying guide.
Why ProCare
A local agency for Tampa Bay
ProCare Consulting is an independent insurance agency based at 20547 Amberfield Dr, Land O’ Lakes, Florida, serving Pasco, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk, Hernando and Citrus counties. We help people across the bay.
Independent agency working across many insurance companies
Networks checked with current information, never promised
We look at your options again every year
Reach us by phone, on Zoom or in our Land O’ Lakes office
How we compare
We compare what matters to you
We start with your doctors, prescriptions, the hospitals you prefer and your budget. Then we compare the Medicare Advantage plans offered in your county, side by side and in plain English.
As an independent agency, we work with many insurance companies, and no plan is automatically right for everyone. Read how we work on our Medicare page.
- Doctor and hospital networks, HMO or PPO
- Coverage for each of your prescriptions
- Extra benefits like dental, vision and hearing
- Copays and rules for specialist visits
Timing matters
When you can change your plan
These enrollment windows come from Medicare.gov’s enrollment page. Annual Enrollment for 2027 coverage runs October 15 to December 7, 2026. Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment runs January 1 to March 31, 2027.
Annual Enrollment
October 15 to December 7, for everyone with Medicare.
The Medicare Advantage open enrollment window
January 1 to March 31, only if you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan.
Turning 65
Seven months around your 65th birthday month. It starts three months before that month and ends three months after.
Medicaid or Extra Help
Once a calendar month. If you have Medicaid or get Extra Help, you can make certain coverage changes.
| Window | Dates | Who can use it | What you can change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Enrollment | October 15 to December 7, 2026 | Anyone with Medicare | Join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage or drug plan. Coverage starts January 1. |
| Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment | January 1 to March 31, 2027 | People already in a Medicare Advantage plan | Switch to another Advantage plan, or go back to Original Medicare and join a drug plan. One change only. |
| Initial Enrollment | Seven months around your 65th birthday month | People new to Medicare | Join a Medicare Advantage or drug plan for the first time |
| Special Enrollment Periods | Set by the life event | People who move, lose other coverage, or get Medicaid or Extra Help | Join or switch plans, depending on the event |
Where you live matters
Plans differ by county across Tampa Bay
Medicare Advantage plans are sold by service area, so the list in Pasco is not the same as the list in Hillsborough or Pinellas. Networks differ too. A plan your neighbor across the county line has may not be offered at your ZIP code. That is why every comparison starts with where you live.
You can see the plans for your own ZIP code in Medicare Plan Finder, the official tool on Medicare.gov. We use the same plan list when we compare with you, then check your doctors and drugs against each plan’s network and drug list.
Your next step
A zero-cost review of your plan
Our help costs you nothing. Insurance companies pay licensed agents, so there is no bill from us.
Worried about keeping your doctor? Our guide on how to check Medicare Advantage doctor networks in Tampa Bay shows what to look for.
Our Medicare resources explain every enrollment period. Annual Enrollment for 2027 coverage runs October 15 to December 7, 2026. Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment runs January 1 to March 31, 2027. When you are ready, reach out here.
Related pages
How it works
Your yearly plan check, step by step
We look at you first, then at the plans.
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Have your plan notice handy
Call or text us. Have your plan’s yearly change notice handy if you have one.
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We review your doctors and drugs
We list the doctors, hospitals and prescriptions you rely on.
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Compare plans in your county
A licensed insurance professional shows you the plans offered where you live.
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Keep your plan or switch
You decide. If staying put makes sense, we will say so.
Medicare sales activity follows Permission to Contact and Scope of Appointment procedures, with your documented authorization where required.
Your questions answered
Medicare Advantage in Tampa Bay FAQ
When can I change my Medicare Advantage plan in Tampa?
The main window is Annual Enrollment, October 15 to December 7, for coverage that starts January 1. If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can also switch from January 1 to March 31. Moving or other life changes can open another chance.
Are Medicare Advantage plans the same in every Tampa Bay county?
No. Plans are offered by county and ZIP code, and they change every year. A plan in Pinellas may not be offered in Pasco. We check the plans offered where you live, then compare their networks, drug coverage and extra benefits.
Should I choose an HMO or a PPO?
It depends on how you get care. An HMO usually keeps you in its network and may need referrals. A PPO usually lets you see doctors outside the network, often at a higher cost. We look at your doctors and habits to see which fits.
What if my doctor leaves my plan's network?
Networks can change during the year and between years. We check current network information before you choose, and we never promise a doctor will stay. If your doctor leaves, call us. We will look at your options and the enrollment rules that apply.
Can I switch from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare?
Yes, at set times. You can drop a Medicare Advantage plan during Annual Enrollment, October 15 to December 7. If you are already in a plan, you can also go back from January 1 to March 31 and join a separate drug plan. A Medigap policy may then ask health questions, so we check that first.
Talk with ProCare
Review your plan before December 7
Call or text us, or request your zero-cost review online. We will compare your Medicare Advantage choices in plain English.
ProCare Consulting is an insurance agency, not the childcare software company with a similar name. ProCare Consulting is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program.
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent [insert number of organizations] organizations which offer [insert number of plans] products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.