Medicare Help for Wellington, FL

In the 1950s, Massachusetts accountant Charles Oliver Wellington bought a large tract of swampland in central Palm Beach County and called it the Flying Cow Ranch. Developers turned it into a planned community in the 1970s, and residents voted to incorporate in 1995 by just 138 votes. The village had 61,637 residents in the 2020 census, the most of any village in Florida. From January to April, Wellington hosts the Winter Equestrian Festival, and high-goal polo is played at the International Polo Club.

Wellington Regional Medical Center is at 10101 Forest Hill Blvd., and HCA Florida Palms West Hospital is a few miles north on Southern Blvd. in Loxahatchee. They have different owners, and an Advantage plan's network can list one hospital without the other. If you see specialists in West Palm Beach or Boca Raton, list them too. A Supplement pays at both hospitals and at any doctor's office that takes Medicare, and you won't need referrals. Prescriptions go on a separate Part D plan.

Many Wellington residents moved here from another state. If you came with a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan from back home, it likely doesn't serve Palm Beach County, and you'll need a plan here. Moving opens a special enrollment period for a new Advantage or drug plan. It can start the month before you move and lasts two full months after. A Medigap plan you already own keeps working in Florida. If you'd like to change Medigap plans after a move, the new company may ask health questions, so call us before you drop the old one.

The Wellington Community Center at 12150 Forest Hill Blvd. is a county meal site, with breakfast and lunch on weekdays for adults 60 and up. Call (561) 753-2484. The county's Wellington Branch Library is at 1951 Royal Fern Dr., (561) 790-6070, and the Royal Palm Beach Branch is close by. A Palm Tran ride costs $1 with your Medicare card. For free counseling, call SHINE at 1-800-963-5337.

If you'd like someone to look over your coverage, call for a free review by phone. We compare your doctors, prescriptions and monthly budget with the plans we offer in Wellington. Each fall, from October 15 to December 7, you can check that your doctors will still be in network next year and change plans if they won't. You can also read up on Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement plans and Part D drug plans, or check your turning 65 timeline.