Medicare Advantage

Anthem's 2027 Medicare Advantage plans in Gilbert: one new, one gone, five on the shelf

Gilbert, Ariz. — Fall 2026 is Medicare's busiest stretch, and if you have an Anthem Medicare Advantage plan in the East Valley, your mailbox has probably been filling up. For plan year 2027, Anthem — grouped by CMS under its parent, Elevance Health — is offering five Medicare Advantage plans in Maricopa County, the county Gilbert sits in. One plan is new, one is not coming back, and the rest return with changes spelled out in each plan's Annual Notice of Change (ANOC).

This article walks through Anthem's 2027 lineup for Gilbert, plan by plan, and how to check any one of them against your own doctors and prescriptions before the December 7, 2026 deadline. MyMedicarePlans.org is an independent news and education site; we are not Anthem, and 15 other carriers also sell Medicare Advantage plans in Maricopa County for 2027.

What Medicare Advantage plans does Anthem offer in Gilbert for 2027?

In Maricopa County, where Gilbert is located, Anthem is offering five Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. All five include prescription drug coverage. By plan type, there are two HMOs and three HMO-POS plans. By Special Needs Plan status, there are two Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs), two Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs), and no Dual Eligible SNPs (D-SNPs) from Anthem this year.

The table below lists every Anthem plan available in the county for 2027, in alphabetical order:

• Wellpoint Chronic Care (HMO-POS C-SNP) — with drug coverage
• Wellpoint I CareMore Home Care (HMO I-SNP) — with drug coverage (new for 2027)
• Wellpoint I CareMore Home Care 2 (HMO I-SNP) — with drug coverage
• Wellpoint Lung Care (HMO-POS C-SNP) — with drug coverage
• Wellpoint Medicare Advantage (HMO-POS) — with drug coverage

Only one of the five — Wellpoint Medicare Advantage — is a general-enrollment HMO-POS. The other four are Special Needs Plans, which have extra eligibility rules on top of being enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B and living in the service area.

What is new or not returning from Anthem in Maricopa County for 2027?

One Anthem plan is new for 2027: Wellpoint I CareMore Home Care (HMO I-SNP). One Anthem plan from 2026 is not returning for 2027. If you are enrolled in a plan that will not be offered next year, Anthem is required to notify you in writing, and you have a Special Enrollment Period to pick a different plan.

The remaining Anthem plans renew into 2027, but renewal does not mean "same as last year." Every returning plan sends an Annual Notice of Change each fall that lays out the exact premium, deductible, copays, drug tiers, provider rules and extra benefits for the coming year. Read that document; it is the only place your 2027 details appear in full.

Who can enroll in Anthem's Special Needs Plans in Gilbert?

Four of Anthem's five 2027 plans in Maricopa County are Special Needs Plans, which means not everyone can join them. Two are Chronic Condition SNPs — Wellpoint Chronic Care and Wellpoint Lung Care — and these are for people living with specific qualifying health conditions. Two are Institutional SNPs — Wellpoint I CareMore Home Care and Wellpoint I CareMore Home Care 2 — designed for people who live in, or need an institutional level of care at home.

Anthem is not offering a Dual Eligible SNP (D-SNP) in the county for 2027. Dual-eligible residents of Gilbert who want a D-SNP can look at other carriers; 15 other companies sell Medicare Advantage plans in Maricopa County next year.

How do I check an Anthem plan against my doctors and prescriptions before December 7?

The fastest way is the official Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov. Enter your ZIP code, add every prescription you take with the exact dose, and the tool will show each plan's drug coverage, pharmacy pricing, and estimated yearly cost for your specific drug list. You can also filter by carrier and by plan type (HMO or HMO-POS).

For doctors and hospitals, check the plan's own provider directory on the carrier's website, or call the plan directly using the number on its summary of benefits. HMO and HMO-POS plans use networks, so confirm each provider you want to keep is in-network for the specific plan you are considering — networks can differ from one Wellpoint plan to another. If you prefer to talk to a person, 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) is open 24/7.

Three things worth checking before you commit:

• Are my regular doctors in-network for this specific plan in 2027?
• Are all my prescriptions on the formulary, and at what tier?
• Does the plan require referrals or prior authorization for any care I use?

What Medicare dates and figures should Gilbert residents know for 2027?

Annual Enrollment runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and whatever you choose takes effect January 1, 2027. If you do nothing, your current plan rolls over into 2027 as described in its ANOC — unless it is one of the plans not being offered next year. There is also a Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31, 2027, when people already in a Medicare Advantage plan can switch once.

For Part D drug coverage, CMS has confirmed these 2027 figures: the out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 (up from $2,100 in 2026), the maximum deductible a plan may charge is $700 (up from $615 in 2026), and the national base beneficiary premium — a formula input, not what any plan charges you — is $41.33. The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, have not been announced yet; CMS typically publishes them in November.