Medicare by region · Fort Myers, Naples, Cape Coral & Punta Gorda
Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties — Lee Health and NCH, a retiree-heavy coast still rebuilding from Ian, and counties UnitedHealthcare pulled back from for 2026.
No cost, no obligation, no pressure.
No cost, no pressure. Prefer to call? (702) 706-6564.
Medicare in the region
Southwest Florida is retiree country with a concentrated care map: Lee Health runs almost every hospital in Lee County, NCH and Physicians Regional split Naples, and ShorePoint serves Charlotte. Because there are few alternatives, a plan that excludes your system is a real problem, and the 2026 pullbacks narrowed the menu.
Hurricane Ian also taught this coast what a FEMA disaster declaration does to Medicare deadlines; our hurricanes page covers the Special Enrollment Period.
What changed for 2026: UnitedHealthcare reduced plans in Lee and Collier counties. Lee Health, the public system that runs nearly every hospital in Lee County, contracts with some plans and not others, and NCH in Naples does the same, so the system question is sharp here.
Counties: Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry, Glades.
Each contracts differently with each plan; we check your doctors first.
Turning 65? Your Initial Enrollment Period is the 7 months around your birthday. Already on Medicare? The Annual Election Period is Oct 15–Dec 7, and Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment runs Jan 1–Mar 31. Moving to Florida, losing a plan, or a hurricane disaster declaration each open a Special Enrollment Period.
Your options
All-in-one Part C plans, often $0 premium, that use a county network — the dominant choice in Florida, and the one that changed most for 2026.
How Advantage worksMedigap pairs with Original Medicare and works with any provider nationwide — Mayo Jacksonville, Moffitt, Cleveland Clinic, or your doctor back in Ohio.
How Medigap worksStandalone drug coverage chosen around your medications and pharmacy. 2026 out-of-pocket cap: $2,100.
How Part D worksAdvantage plans built for a chronic condition, for nursing-facility care, or for people with both Medicare and Florida Medicaid.
About SNPsQuestions from Southwest Florida
Lee and Collier counties typically offer a moderate-to-deep Medicare Advantage menu, every Medigap carrier in Florida, and the full Part D lineup. For 2026 UnitedHealthcare reduced plans here.
Each system contracts with some Medicare Advantage plans and not others, and the lists change every October. With Original Medicare and a Medigap policy there is no network to check. We confirm your doctors before you enroll.
Nothing. Independent agents are paid by the carriers when you enroll, so comparing plans and reviewing your coverage each year is free to you.
Ready when you are
A short, friendly conversation — no pressure, no cost.
Written by Darin Weidauer — Gerontologist (USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology), MBA, Registered Social Security Analyst, 22-year U.S. Air Force veteran and founder of ECOS Medicare Solutions — and reviewed by Ronilin Weidauer, licensed insurance agent in Florida (NPN 19427652, FL License #W690636).Last reviewed September 4, 2026. Plan availability, benefits and costs change every plan year — verify current details at Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or Florida SHINE at 1-800-963-5337.