How to access help with Medicare
- Costs vary depending on the services and drugs you use. The best way to determine which plan is best for you and your particular situation is to use Medicare’s online Plan Finder, which allows you to factor in your health conditions and the medications you take and compare costs. Go to Medicare.gov and choose the “Find Health and Drug Plans” button.
- Florida’s Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders (SHINE) volunteer counselors provide free, unbiased guidance to seniors and their caretakers. To find your local counseling sites, visit floridashine.org or call 1-800-963-5337. It’s helpful to have a list of all your doctors, medications, dosages and monthly usage before meeting with a SHINE counselor.
- You can also get help directly from Medicare by calling toll-free 1-800-633-4227, or visit online at Medicare.gov. There also is now an online chat feature. Government workers there generally have less time to spend with you than the SHINE volunteers do. The Medicare Support Hotline is available 24/7, except on certain federal holidays, and can provide assistance in both English and Spanish.
- The Medicare Rights Center works to ensure access to affordable health care for older adults and people with disabilities. Call 800-333-4114 or visit medicarerights.org.
- Details on Medicare Open Enrollment are available online in the 2026 U.S. Government Medicare handbook: https://www.medicare.gov/publications/10050-medicare-and-you.pdf
- To learn more about Extra Help for drug plans, visit Medicare.gov/ExtraHelp.
Local SHINE offices
To make an appointment with a SHINE counselor in Broward County call 954-745-9567 or in Palm Beach County call 1-866-684-5885.
SHINE Broward liaison Gloria Ayan said seniors will need to make an appointment this year to avoid waiting hours to be helped. This year, she says, demand is high because many enrollees have received notice that their Medicare Advantage carriers are no longer operating in the area.
She advises seniors to arrive for an appointment with a SHINE officer with a list of their primary doctor and specialists and a list of medications, dosages and pharmacies. “We will be able to provide them with a consultation based on their unique needs,” Ayan said.
Broward County SHINE counseling offices
- Beach Community Center: 3351 NE 33 Ave., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308; 954-828-4610; third Monday of the month.
- City of Sunrise Senior Center: 10650 W. Oakland Park Blvd.; Sunrise, FL 33351; 954-746-3670; first and third Tuesdays of the month.
- Southwest Focal Point Senior Center: 301 NW 103rd Ave.; Pembroke Pines, FL 33026; 954-450-6888; each Wednesday.
- OB Johnson Park/Austin Hepburn Senior Center: 1000 NW Eighth Ave.; Hallandale Beach, FL 33009; 954-457-1460; second and fourth Thursdays of the month.
- Northwest Focal Point: 6009 NW 10 St.; Margate, FL 33063; 954-973-0300; second and fourth Fridays of the month.
- E. Pat Larkins Community Center: 520 NW Third St., Pompano Beach, FL 33060; by appointment only.
Palm Beach County SHINE counseling offices
All locations by appointment only 1-866-684-5885.
- Area Agency on Aging — Palm Beach: 4400 N. Congress Ave., West Palm Beach, FL 33407.
- Mid-County Senior Center: 3680 Lake Worth Road, Palm Springs, FL 33461.
- North County Senior Center: 5217 Northlake Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418.
- Kane Center: 900 SE Salerno Rd, Stuart, FL, 34997
- The Pointe at Ocean Blvd: 2750 SE Ocean Blvd, Stuart, FL, 34996
- Area Agency on Aging Port St. Lucie: 1100 St. Lucie West Blvd, Port St. Lucie, FL, 34986
