Plan a little ahead
Signing up for evacuation help in your county
Each county keeps its own list. Sign up before the season, not during a storm.
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Tampa Bay · Florida
Your Medicare.
Your Tampa Bay life.
A little Medicare clarity, county by county.
From a puzzling bill to a plan for storm season. Find a useful next step, and the right office in Hillsborough, Pinellas or Pasco.
What brings you here today?
I have a bill or noticeI have a visit coming upI have a coverage questionSomething in my life changed
No account needed. No sign-up, no login, no email. Every guide and tool is open the moment you arrive — because understanding Medicare shouldn’t cost you your contact information.
More time for the life around the bay.
Free, unbiased Medicare counseling.Find SHINE in Tampa BayFlorida · A useful next step
At home or away, stay prepared.
A season elsewhere, a prescription refill, or a notice in the mail: get a practical plan for your next conversation.
01
Prepare for time away from home
Questions about care, prescriptions and a possible move.
Prepare my next step 02Make sense of a bill or notice
A short call script and the documents to keep nearby.
Prepare my next step 03Review before changing coverage
A clear list to verify before any switch.
Prepare my next stepNo account or personal details needed. Prefer to talk with someone?
Made for Tampa Bay
Local questions, local starting points.
Feel more prepared
Applying for help with Medicare costs
Ask SHINE first, then apply through ACCESS Florida.
Life here has its own questions
What is different about Medicare in Tampa Bay.
Three counties, three evacuation lists
Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco each keep a separate registry for residents who need help to evacuate or a special needs shelter, with different rules for keeping it current. Pinellas, for example, contacts every registrant each year. Sign up with your own county before hurricane season.
Official source ↗Two aging agencies for one region
Senior Connection Center is the Area Agency on Aging for Hillsborough, and the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas serves Pinellas and Pasco. Both take SHINE requests through the Elder Helpline, 1-800-963-5337, so give your county when you call.
Official source ↗Your Medicare card on the bus
HART, PSTA and GoPasco each offer reduced fares to Medicare card holders, though the ID rules differ slightly. Hillsborough County’s Sunshine Line offers door-to-door rides, with no fees listed, for residents who qualify. Plan the ride before you book an appointment.
Official source ↗Context, not advice
Public enrollment counts. They describe the area, not your choices.
- People with Medicare in Hillsborough County
- 275,359June 2026 · CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment ↗
- Enrolled in Medicare Advantage and other health plans, Hillsborough County
- 171,248June 2026 · CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment ↗
- People with Medicare in Pinellas County
- 263,871June 2026 · CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment ↗
- Enrolled in Medicare Advantage and other health plans, Pinellas County
- 159,372June 2026 · CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment ↗
- People with Medicare in Pasco County
- 153,526June 2026 · CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment ↗
- Enrolled in Medicare Advantage and other health plans, Pasco County
- 103,056June 2026 · CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment ↗
A person to talk to
SHINE in Tampa Bay.
Call the Elder Helpline and give your county. Both Tampa Bay Area Agencies on Aging take requests for free, unbiased SHINE Medicare counseling through this number.
Help me prepare for the callNo account. No personal details to enter.
Also in Tampa Bay
- Hillsborough County Aging Services
- Sunshine Line door-to-door transportation
- Hillsborough special needs shelter registration
Useful all year round
Getting comfortable with Medicare.
Use my benefits
Prepare for a visit and ask what applies, on either side of the bay.
Costs & paperwork
Start with the document in front of you: a bill, a notice, a summary.
Review my coverage
Three questions about access, costs and needs that changed this year.
Enrollment windows
AEP, MA OEP and the life situations that open a window.
Straight answers
Questions people in Tampa Bay ask about Medicare.
Tampa Bay Medicare Guide is the Tampa Bay edition of the Florida Medicare Guide, an independent educational site for people with Medicare and the people who help them. It explains what to ask and who to call; it does not verify coverage, recommend plans or enroll anyone. How we prepare our guidance →
- Who can I call for free Medicare help in Tampa Bay?
Call the Elder Helpline at 1-800-963-5337 and give your county. Senior Connection Center serves Hillsborough, and the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas serves Pinellas and Pasco. Ask for SHINE, Florida’s free, unbiased Medicare counseling program.
Find help in Tampa Bay →- How do I sign up for evacuation help before a hurricane?
Each county keeps its own list. In Hillsborough, register online or call the Department of Health at 813-307-8063. In Pinellas, call Emergency Management at 727-464-3800. In Pasco, call Emergency Management at 727-847-8137. Register before a storm threatens; the county decides who is accepted.
Read the evacuation sign-up guide →- Can my Medicare card lower my bus fare?
Yes, on all three local systems. HART and PSTA accept your red, white and blue Medicare card for reduced fares, and GoPasco offers reduced fares to riders 65 and older with a valid Medicare card. Ask each agency about door-to-door service if you cannot ride the bus.
Read the bus fares guide →- Where do I apply for help paying Medicare costs?
Florida’s Medicare Savings Programs are handled by the Department of Children and Families through ACCESS Florida, online or on paper, and DCF decides eligibility. SHINE counselors can explain the programs first, free of charge; call 1-800-963-5337 and give your county.
Read the cost-help guide →- Does Tampa Bay Medicare Guide sell plans or enroll people?
No. Tampa Bay Medicare Guide is an independent educational site from HealthBenefitsCompass LLC, part of the Florida Medicare Guide. One of our reviewers is a licensed Medicare agent; even so, this site sells nothing, recommends no plan and enrolls no one. It helps you prepare questions and find the right person to ask.
About this site →
Somewhere else in Florida?
The statewide guide has local help for every county.