Florida Patient Advocates
A Florida patient advocate is a trained professional who handles the coordination, paperwork, and phone calls around your care, covered by Medicare. Careway advocates work with patients throughout Florida by phone and video, from Jacksonville and Miami to Tampa, Orlando, and the coasts.
What is different about getting help here
A state built around older adults, which cuts both ways
Florida has more Medicare-focused healthcare than almost anywhere, and more marketing aimed at older adults than anywhere. Sorting real help from a sales pitch is its own skill. An advocate has no plan to sell and no commission to earn.
Free counseling through SHINE
Florida's Department of Elder Affairs runs SHINE, a free counseling program staffed by trained volunteers who answer Medicare questions without selling anything. The same phone line reaches the state Elder Helpline.
Snowbirds, seasons, and split care
Many Florida patients spend part of the year elsewhere and end up with doctors in two states who have never seen each other's records. Continuity is the recurring problem, and it is solvable with someone tracking it.
- Moves records between practices in different states
- Keeps one medication list every prescriber can see
- Schedules around the months you are actually in Florida
Hurricane season is a health issue
For someone on oxygen, dialysis, or refrigerated medication, a storm is a medical event. The preparation that matters happens before the forecast, not during it.
- Helps register for county special-needs shelter programs where they exist
- Makes sure medication and equipment plans account for a power outage
- Confirms dialysis and infusion patients know their center's emergency plan
Programs your advocate helps you reach
These are run by Florida and its counties, not by Careway. Your advocate helps you find out whether you qualify and works through the applications with you.
SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders)
Florida's free Medicare counseling program, run by the Department of Elder Affairs, offering unbiased help with coverage questions and appeals.
Official site ➞Florida Department of Elder Affairs Elder Helpline
Statewide line connecting older adults to local services, including meals, transportation, and caregiver support.
Official site ➞Florida Medicaid
State health coverage that can pay Medicare cost-sharing for people who qualify, including long-term care services through managed care.
Official site ➞Area Agencies on Aging
Regional agencies coordinating home-delivered meals, rides, and in-home help across Florida's counties.
Official site ➞Where Florida patients get their care
Records do not move between these on their own. When your doctors are in more than one, your advocate is the one making sure each has the current picture.
- AdventHealth
- Baptist Health
- Orlando Health
- Tampa General Hospital
- Cleveland Clinic Florida
- Jackson Health System
- UF Health
- Lee Health
Advocates across Florida
Jacksonville
Patient advocates for Jacksonville seniors, covered by Medicare. Help navigating Baptist Health, UF Health, and Mayo Clinic care in Duval County.
Read more ➞Miami
Patient advocates for Miami seniors, covered by Medicare. Help navigating Jackson Health, Baptist Health, and UHealth care in Miami-Dade County.
Read more ➞Tampa
Patient advocates for Tampa seniors, covered by Medicare. Help navigating Tampa General, AdventHealth, and BayCare care in Hillsborough County.
Read more ➞Orlando
Patient advocates for Orlando seniors, covered by Medicare. Help navigating AdventHealth and Orlando Health care in Orange County.
Read more ➞St. Petersburg
Patient advocates for St. Petersburg seniors, covered by Medicare. Help navigating BayCare and Johns Hopkins All Children's care in Pinellas County.
Read more ➞Questions from Florida
Yes. Medicare's care management programs are Medicare-covered services available to eligible patients in Florida. If you have a Medigap policy or Medicaid, your standard coinsurance may be fully covered.
Not necessarily, and it rarely matters. Your advocate works with you by phone and video, and is familiar with the coverage rules, programs, and health systems in your state. There is no office to travel to.
It causes the usual problem of two sets of doctors who never see each other's records. An advocate keeps one medication list and moves records between states so nobody is working from a partial picture.
SHINE is Florida's free Medicare counseling program, run by the Department of Elder Affairs. It is a good source of unbiased coverage answers, and separate from the ongoing work an advocate does.
Yes. Advocates help with county special-needs registration where it exists, make sure medication and equipment plans account for power outages, and confirm that dialysis and infusion patients know their center's emergency plan.
Careway does not sell or recommend any Medicare plan. Careway is a healthcare provider that bills Medicare for a defined service, and the advocate works for you.
Talk to someone who can take this on
Checking whether you qualify takes a couple of minutes. If we are not the right fit, we will tell you plainly.
Covered by Medicare. If you have a supplemental policy (Medigap) or Medicaid, your standard coinsurance may be fully covered.