Medicare Advantage

Before You Switch D-SNPs in Chandler, Check This

For 2027, Chandler is looking at 92 Medicare Advantage plans: 17 new, 13 gone since 2026, and 33 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 13 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Maricopa County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

CHANDLER, Ariz. — If you have both Medicare and Arizona Medicaid (AHCCCS), the fall 2026 enrollment season gives you a fresh look at a specific kind of coverage built for your situation: a Dual Special Needs Plan, or D-SNP. For 2027, Maricopa County — the county Chandler sits in — has 10 D-SNPs on the Medicare landscape, offered by six carriers. One is new for the year, and one has a new name. The rest return.

Here is how to tell if a D-SNP fits, when you can change plans, and how to confirm what Medicaid category you're in before you enroll.

What is a Dual Special Needs Plan, and who is it for in Chandler?

A D-SNP is a type of Medicare Advantage plan built only for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. In Arizona, Medicaid is called AHCCCS. D-SNPs include Part A, Part B and Part D in one plan, and they are designed to work alongside the help Medicaid already gives you.

You generally qualify if you are enrolled in Medicare (Parts A and B) and also receive some level of Medicaid help. That help can be "full" — meaning Medicaid covers a broad set of benefits — or "partial," meaning Medicaid helps pay some Medicare costs through a Medicare Savings Program (like QMB, SLMB or QI). Different D-SNPs are designed for different levels of dual eligibility, so the plan you can join depends on which category you are in.

How many D-SNPs are offered in Maricopa County for 2027, and which carriers sell them?

For 2027, Maricopa County has 10 D-SNPs among its 92 Medicare Advantage plans. The county also has 25 Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs) and 5 Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs), but those serve different groups.

The six carriers offering D-SNPs in the county for 2027 are, in alphabetical order:

• Banner Medicare Advantage — 2 D-SNPs
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona — 1 D-SNP
• Centene (WellCare) — 1 D-SNP (new for 2027)
• Mercy Care Advantage — 3 D-SNPs
• Molina Healthcare of Arizona — 1 D-SNP
• UnitedHealthcare — 2 D-SNPs (one of them, UHC Dual Complete AZ-YL, is a renamed version of a 2026 plan)

The table below lists every plan available in the county, including the D-SNPs by name. We do not list premiums, benefits or networks here; those details come from the plan's own documents or from the Medicare Plan Finder.

How do I confirm whether I'm fully or partially dual eligible?

Your Medicaid status is set by the state, not by Medicare or the plan. In Arizona, call AHCCCS or check your AHCCCS account to see what category you are in. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), and Medicare can tell you what level of help is on file for you.

This matters because it decides which D-SNPs you can join. Some D-SNPs are for people with full Medicaid benefits; others accept people with only partial dual eligibility. The plan will also ask you to verify your Medicaid status when you enroll, and will check again from time to time to make sure you still qualify.

How often can a dual-eligible person change plans?

Everyone with Medicare can make changes during the Annual Enrollment Period, which runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, for coverage that starts January 1, 2027. If you do nothing, your current plan simply renews for 2027 — with any changes described in your plan's Annual Notice of Change (ANOC).

If you have Medicaid or get Extra Help with drug costs, you also have more chances to change than most people:

• A monthly Special Enrollment Period that lets you join an integrated D-SNP, or move to Original Medicare with a stand-alone Part D plan.
• Additional SEPs if your Medicaid status changes (for example, if you gain or lose full benefits).

The exact rules for these monthly opportunities have been changing in recent years, so the safest step is to call 1-800-MEDICARE before you switch and confirm what applies to you right now.

What's changing for 2027 in Chandler's D-SNP lineup?

Across all Medicare Advantage plans in Maricopa County, 13 plans are not returning for 2027, 17 are new, and 13 have been renamed. Within the D-SNP group specifically:

• Centene (WellCare) is adding Wellcare Arizona Complete Health Dual Liberty Sync (HMO D-SNP) as a new D-SNP for 2027.
• UnitedHealthcare's UHC Dual Complete AZ-YL (HMO-POS D-SNP) is a renamed version of what was called UHC Dual Complete AZ-Y001 in 2026.

If you are already in a D-SNP, your ANOC (mailed by late September) spells out what's changing in your plan — the drug list, the extra benefits, the provider network — for 2027.

What else should I know about costs for 2027?

A few program-wide numbers for 2027 are already set and apply to any Medicare drug coverage, including the drug coverage inside a D-SNP:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026).
• Part D maximum deductible: $700 in 2027 (up from $615 in 2026).
• Part D national base beneficiary premium for 2027: $41.33 (this is a formula input, not what any particular plan charges).

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, had not been announced as of this writing; CMS publishes those figures later in the fall, usually in November. Many people with full Medicaid have their Part B premium paid by the state, so these numbers may not affect you directly — your AHCCCS caseworker can confirm.