If you or a parent has Medicare questions, the Florida SHINE program offers free and confidential health insurance counseling by phone at 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337). SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) is part of the national State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), and the subject areas the Florida State Plan on Aging lists for SHINE counseling run from Medicare and supplement insurance to cost saving programs and fraud prevention.

In This Guide

What Is the Florida SHINE Program?

The Florida Department of Elder Affairs states in its Florida State Plan on Aging that, through a statewide network, the SHINE program provides Medicare-related counseling assistance for Florida's Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers. The same state plan says Florida SHINE is part of the national State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). You can read how SHIPs work nationally in our guide to free Medicare counseling through your SHIP.

The federal government recognizes the same arrangement. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Contacts Directory lists Florida SHINE as a State Health Insurance Assistance Program, describes its service as personalized health insurance counseling, names Florida as its covered state, and gives the Florida Department of Elder Affairs as its address.

Who does the counseling matters, because it shapes what a session feels like. The Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS) describes SHINE as a free program offered by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and your local Area Agency on Aging, in which specially trained volunteers help with Medicare, Medicaid, and health insurance questions through one-on-one counseling and information. The Florida Department of Elder Affairs separately describes Florida SHINE as providing educational materials and free, unbiased insurance counseling to Florida elders, caregivers, and family members. The broader Florida Medicare picture, including costs and plan types, is in our Florida Medicare plans and coverage guide.

What Can a SHINE Counselor Help You With?

The Florida State Plan on Aging lists nine subject areas in its overview of the Florida SHINE program. Those subject areas are:

  • Medicare
  • Medicaid
  • Long-term care insurance
  • Prescription assistance
  • Supplement insurance
  • Preventive benefits
  • Fraud prevention
  • Cost saving programs
  • Beneficiary rights

That list is wider than most people expect. A daughter trying to work out whether her mother can get help with Medicare costs can bring that question to a Florida SHINE counselor, since cost saving programs are one of the listed subject areas. For background on the state's cost-help programs before you call, see our guide to Florida's Medicare Savings Programs.

Where do Florida Medigap buyers check rates and agent licenses?

Florida SHINE counseling covers supplement insurance, but two practical checks for a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) purchase run through other Florida agencies. The Florida Department of Financial Services' Medicare Supplement overview points buyers to a Medicare Supplement Sample Rate Search web site that the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) established to assist in purchasing a Medicare Supplement policy. The same DFS overview tells Florida Medigap buyers to contact DFS to verify the license of the agent and the insurance company before signing an application for a policy.

The DFS overview lists the Florida Insurance Consumer Helpline at 1-877-693-5236 (statewide, toll-free) and (850) 413-3089 (from out of state). The same DFS page also directs Medigap shoppers to the Department of Elder Affairs SHINE program at 1-800-963-5337 to speak with a SHINE volunteer. A sensible order is to talk the choice through with SHINE, compare prices on the OIR rate search, and check the agent's license with DFS before you sign. Florida's guaranteed-issue rules for Medigap are covered in our Florida Medicare Supplement guide.

What Else Does SHINE Run Besides Counseling?

The Florida State Plan on Aging says Florida SHINE also operates two other programs alongside its counseling.

The MIPPA Program. The Florida State Plan on Aging says SHINE's Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) Program is able to help eligible clients enroll in cost-saving programs that enable them to afford Medicare benefits. If paying for Medicare premiums or prescriptions is the worry, asking SHINE about MIPPA help is a reasonable first move.

Florida's Senior Medicare Patrol. The Florida State Plan on Aging says the statewide Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) Program, operated by SHINE, empowers seniors through education on how to prevent, detect, and report Medicare fraud. If a Medicare statement shows a service you don't recognize, you can raise it with Florida SHINE, whose listed subject areas include fraud prevention.

How Do You Book a Florida SHINE Session?

There are four ways into Florida SHINE, and they suit different situations.

Way in What it's for How to use it
Elder Helpline Free, confidential health insurance counseling by phone Call 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337), statewide and toll-free
SHINE Contact Us form Personalized assistance, a presentation, literature, a counseling site location, or other requests Complete the form on the SHINE website so SHINE can connect you with a counselor in your area
County counseling sites Meeting a SHINE counselor near you Choose your county on the SHINE Counseling Sites page
County community events Hearing about Medicare at a local event Choose your county on the SHINE Community Events page

Here is how to use each route, step by step.

1
Step 1

Call the Florida Elder Helpline

The Florida Department of Elder Affairs tells Medicare beneficiaries, families, and caregivers to call the statewide, toll-free Florida Elder Helpline at 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337) for free and confidential SHINE health insurance counseling. The CMS Contacts Directory lists the same toll-free number, (800) 963-5337, for Florida SHINE.

2
Step 2

Or send the SHINE online form

The Florida SHINE website's Contact Us page says the best resource is a SHINE counselor and offers a form so SHINE can connect you with a SHINE counselor in your area. The Florida SHINE contact form offers five request types: Personalized Assistance, Presentation, Literature, Counseling Site Location, and Other.

3
Step 3

Or find a counseling site in your county

The Florida SHINE website lists counseling sites by county, and you choose your county to see the sites in your area.

4
Step 4

Or catch a community event

The Florida SHINE website also lists community events by county, using the same choose-your-county page layout.

If you're not sure which route fits, the phone line is the most direct. Pick "Personalized Assistance" on the form if you'd rather be contacted than call, and pick "Counseling Site Location" if you want to meet someone face to face.

What Does a SHINE County Counseling Site Look Like?

Florida SHINE counseling sites are listed county by county, so the Miami-Dade listing is a useful example of what you'll find. The Florida SHINE counseling-site page for Miami-Dade (Dade) County lists sites including the Alliance for Aging SHINE Office, the Aventura Library, the Coral Gables Youth Center, the Coral Reef library, the Hammocks Library, and the Key Biscayne Community Center.

Entries on the Miami-Dade SHINE counseling-site listing carry appointment notes such as "By appointment only" and "Call 305-671-6356 to schedule an appointment." Treat the Miami-Dade listing as an illustration of the format rather than a current schedule, because sites and appointment arrangements can change. Before you go anywhere, check your own county's page on the Florida SHINE website for the current sites and how to book.

How Is SHINE Counseling Kept Free of Conflicts of Interest?

A federal independence rule applies to every state's State Health Insurance Assistance Program. Federal law, at 42 U.S.C. 1395b-4, requires each state's SHIP grant plan to provide assurances that staff members, including volunteer staff members, of the health insurance counseling program have no conflict of interest in providing that counseling.

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) restates the volunteer policy for SHIP and SMP programs in its conflict-of-interest resource. ACL's resource says that no person who has a conflict of interest in connection with the work they will do at the SMP or SHIP, whether personal, philosophical, or financial, may serve as a volunteer. ACL's resource also says SHIP and SMP volunteers do not promote any personal or business interest while undertaking their assignment. ACL gives one example of a person with an inherent conflict of interest: anyone who receives compensation for enrolling beneficiaries in a specific insurance plan or plans.

Because Florida SHINE is part of the national SHIP, those federal SHIP rules are the standard to hold a SHINE session to., If you're weighing a SHIP counselor against a licensed agent or broker, our comparison of SHIP counseling and insurance brokers walks through how the two differ. And if you do buy through an agent, the Florida Department of Financial Services says to contact DFS to verify the agent's license and the insurance company before you sign a Medicare Supplement application.

Can You Volunteer With Florida SHINE?

DFS describes Florida SHINE counseling as coming from specially trained volunteers, and the SHINE website's Join Our Team page lists what SHINE volunteers do. According to that Florida SHINE page, volunteers:

  • Provide information, counseling, and assistance in person or by phone
  • Deliver educational presentations
  • Distribute educational and promotional materials in the community
  • Assist with general program support
  • Recruit additional volunteers
  • Educate community partners about the program

The Miami-Dade SHINE counseling-site page invites anyone interested in hosting a counseling site at their facility, or in volunteering for SHINE in their community, to contact the county liaison listed on that page. If you live elsewhere in Florida, your own county's SHINE counseling-site page is the place to look for the same contact.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Florida SHINE the same as 1-800-MEDICARE?

Florida SHINE and 1-800-MEDICARE are two different lines run by different agencies. 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) is the official Medicare contact line for beneficiaries, operated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and TTY users call 1-877-486-2048. Florida SHINE is the state's SHIP, reached through the Florida Elder Helpline at 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337). CMS says to call a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan first for a plan-specific issue, and to contact 1-800-MEDICARE for an Original Medicare concern or when the plan could not resolve the inquiry.

Who can I ask about a Medicare charge I don't recognize?

You can raise an unfamiliar Medicare charge with Florida SHINE, which operates Florida's statewide Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) and lists fraud prevention among its counseling subject areas. Florida SHINE is reached through the Elder Helpline at 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337) or through the Contact Us form on the SHINE website.

Is Florida SHINE really free?

The Florida Department of Financial Services says SHINE services are free, unbiased, and confidential, and describes SHINE as a free program offered by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and your local Area Agency on Aging. For the separate question of counselor independence, see How Is SHINE Counseling Kept Free of Conflicts of Interest?.

Does Florida SHINE have Spanish-speaking counselors?

Some Florida SHINE county counseling-site listings note language availability; for example, some entries on the Miami-Dade SHINE counseling-site listing note "English and Spanish." Language notes vary by site, so check your own county's SHINE counseling-site page, or ask when you call the Elder Helpline, to find out what's available near you.

Learn More

MedicareFree Medicare Counseling Through Your SHIPSHIP gives free Medicare counseling. Federal law requires its counselors to have no conflict of interest, and ACL bars licensed insurance agents. Find yours. MedicareMedicare Plans and Coverage in FloridaMedicare in Florida for 2026: Part A, Part B, Medicare Advantage, Part D, and Medigap rules, plus the programs that help Floridians pay their costs. MedicareSHIP Counselor vs. Insurance BrokerA SHIP counselor and a Medicare broker are both free to you, but one is paid by the government and one by the insurer. See who pays each and when to use which. MedicareFlorida Medicare Supplement GuideFlorida Medicare Supplement guaranteed issue: when Florida law lets you buy Medigap with no health questions, including under 65, and the protections after. MedicaidMedicare Savings Programs in FloridaFlorida Medicare Savings Programs 2026: QMB, SLMB, and QI income and asset limits, what each pays, automatic Part D Extra Help, and how to apply through DCF.

Find personalized help booking a free Florida SHINE Medicare counseling session at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.

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