Simply Healthcare Medicare Advantage: A Florida Plan Under Elevance

Simply Healthcare is a name Florida seniors see often, and like several plans in the state it is part of a much larger parent. Simply Healthcare Plans is a Florida-focused Medicare Advantage and Medicaid insurer owned by Elevance Health, the same parent company behind Anthem and Wellpoint. It has built a strong presence in Florida, particularly in the dual-eligible and special-needs space, and it is one of the plans you are likely to compare if you are shopping in the state. Here is an honest look at what it is and where its limits are.

Bryce's Take

Simply Healthcare is another Florida name that clients do not realize is Elevance, the same parent as Anthem and Wellpoint. Where it genuinely stands out is the dual-eligible and special-needs space, so if you qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid it is one I look at closely in Florida. My honest caveat is the same one I give for every Florida plan: the extras are heavily marketed, so I check first whether your doctors are in the network and how your specific medications are covered, then weigh the benefits. If you are in Florida, Simply belongs in the comparison.

Overview of Simply Healthcare

Simply Healthcare Plans offers Medicare Advantage plans concentrated in Florida, including standard HMO plans, Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans for people who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid, and Chronic Condition Special Needs Plans for members with qualifying conditions. It also participates in Florida Medicaid. Owned by Elevance Health, the parent of Anthem, Simply Healthcare draws on that large organization's resources while operating as a Florida-specific brand. Its availability is essentially limited to Florida counties, and it competes in one of the most crowded Medicare Advantage markets in the country.

Strengths

Simply Healthcare's strengths reflect both its Florida focus and its backing. It has real depth in the dual-eligible and special-needs space, which matters for members who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid and need those benefits coordinated. Its Florida plans commonly feature the low premiums and generous supplemental benefits that define the state's competitive market, including dental, vision, hearing, over-the-counter allowances, and transportation. Being owned by Elevance Health gives it far more financial backing and contracting leverage than a small standalone Florida plan would have.

Weaknesses

The clearest limitation is geographic: Simply Healthcare is a Florida plan, so it is not an option outside the state, and within Florida its HMO structure restricts you to participating providers for non-emergency care. As with any Florida plan loaded with supplemental extras, those benefits are only worth it if your specific doctors are in the network and your medications are well covered, and it is easy to be drawn in by the advertised perks without checking the fundamentals. Star ratings vary by plan, so the specific plan in your county matters more than the brand.

How big is Simply Healthcare, really?

Simply Healthcare does not report standalone financials, because it operates as a Florida brand within Elevance Health, which is a large public company with revenue in the range of $170 billion as of 2024 and net income in the several-billion-dollar range. So Simply Healthcare itself is a regional plan, but it sits inside one of the largest health insurers in the country rather than being a small independent carrier. The practical point is that its financial backing is substantial while its footprint and plan design remain Florida-specific. Corporate structures and figures change, so verify current ownership and details when it matters.

What members actually say

Sentiment for Simply Healthcare tends to track the broader pattern in Florida's Medicare Advantage market: members value the low premiums and rich extra benefits, while the most common frustrations involve HMO network restrictions, referrals, and prior authorization. Because Florida is saturated with heavily marketed plans, it is especially important to look past the advertised benefits and confirm the network and drug coverage. The plan's dual-eligible and special-needs members often value the coordination it provides, while CMS star ratings vary by plan, so it is worth checking the rating for the specific Simply Healthcare plan in your county rather than relying on the brand overall.

The trend: is Simply Healthcare adding or cutting benefits?

Florida's Medicare Advantage market has been subject to the same industry-wide pressures that led many carriers to trim benefits, raise out-of-pocket maximums, and adjust plan lineups for the 2025 and 2026 plan years, driven by CMS rate changes, the v28 risk-adjustment model, and rising medical costs. Florida plans have historically offered some of the richest supplemental benefits in the country, and those extras are exactly what tends to get trimmed when funding tightens. Because benefits reset every Annual Enrollment Period, the only reliable way to know what a Simply Healthcare plan actually offers for the coming year is to compare its current details for your specific county, which is what a call with Bryce is for.

Who Simply Healthcare tends to fit well

Simply Healthcare fits Florida residents who receive their care locally, whose preferred doctors are in the plan's network, and especially those who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid or have chronic conditions that its special-needs plans are designed around. It is not an option outside Florida, and it is less suited to people who travel frequently, split time between states, or want the freedom of a broad national network, for whom Original Medicare with a Medigap plan is usually a better fit.

Bryce Casson

Licensed Independent Medicare Broker

Bryce Casson is an independent Medicare insurance broker who works with every major carrier. He does not represent any single insurer, which means his recommendations are based on what actually fits each client's situation, not on commissions or quotas.