Medicare Advantage

Medicare and Medicaid together in Gilbert: a guide to the 10 D-SNPs for 2027

Maricopa County has 92 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 13 plans are not coming back, 17 are new, and 33 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 13 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Gilbert, not which plan to pick.

GILBERT, Ariz. — If you have both Medicare and Medicaid (called AHCCCS in Arizona), you have a special kind of Medicare Advantage plan built just for you: a Dual Special Needs Plan, or D-SNP. For 2027, Maricopa County — which includes Gilbert — will have 10 D-SNPs offered by six carriers, and the fall enrollment season is the time to look them over.

The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and any change you make takes effect January 1, 2027. But here is something many dual-eligible neighbors do not know: you do not have to wait for fall. If you qualify for both programs, you usually get extra chances to change plans during the year.

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

A D-SNP is a type of Medicare Advantage plan designed only for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. In Arizona, the state Medicaid program is called AHCCCS. D-SNPs coordinate your Medicare benefits (hospital, doctor and usually drug coverage) with the help you get from Medicaid, so the two programs work together instead of in separate silos.

To join, you need Medicare Part A and Part B and you need to be enrolled in Medicaid at a level the plan accepts. Some D-SNPs serve people with full Medicaid benefits; others serve people who get partial help, such as help paying Medicare premiums or cost-sharing through a Medicare Savings Program. The plan's materials spell out which group it serves.

How many D-SNPs are offered in Gilbert for 2027, and from which carriers?

Gilbert is in Maricopa County, where 10 of the area's Medicare Advantage plans are D-SNPs for 2027. Six carriers offer them.

In alphabetical order by carrier, the D-SNPs available in the county for 2027 are:

• Banner Medicare Advantage — Banner Medicare Advantage Dual (HMO D-SNP); Banner Medicare Advantage Dual (HMO D-SNP)
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona — Health Choice Pathway (HMO D-SNP)
• Centene (WellCare) — Wellcare Arizona Complete Health Dual Liberty Sync (HMO D-SNP), new for 2027
• Mercy Care Advantage — Mercy Care Advantage (HMO D-SNP); Mercy Care Advantage (HMO D-SNP); Mercy Care Advantage (HMO D-SNP)
• Molina Healthcare of Arizona — Molina Medicare Complete Care (HMO D-SNP)
• UnitedHealthcare — UHC Dual Complete AZ-S001 (HMO-POS D-SNP); UHC Dual Complete AZ-YL (HMO-POS D-SNP), renamed from UHC Dual Complete AZ-Y001

The table on this page lists every plan with its type and drug coverage. For costs, provider networks and covered drugs, check the plan's Evidence of Coverage, the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov, or call 1-800-MEDICARE.

How do I know if I qualify as "full" or "partial" dual eligible?

Your eligibility level is set by Arizona's Medicaid program (AHCCCS), not by Medicare or by any Medicare Advantage carrier. The agency looks at your income, resources and household situation and decides what you qualify for.

"Full" dual eligibility generally means you get the full package of Medicaid benefits in addition to Medicare. "Partial" dual eligibility usually means Medicaid helps with specific Medicare costs — like your Part B premium or your deductibles and coinsurance — through a Medicare Savings Program, but does not pay for the broader Medicaid benefit package.

If you are not sure which group you are in, two calls will tell you: AHCCCS for your Medicaid level, and 1-800-MEDICARE to confirm what that means for Medicare plan choices.

How often can a dual-eligible person change Medicare plans?

Everyone with Medicare can change plans during the Annual Enrollment Period, October 15 – December 7, 2026, for coverage starting January 1, 2027. People already in a Medicare Advantage plan also have the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, January 1 – March 31, to make one change.

Dual-eligible members and people who get Extra Help with drug costs usually get more opportunities. Under current rules, they generally have a monthly chance to enroll in an integrated D-SNP, or to leave Medicare Advantage and go back to Original Medicare with a stand-alone Part D drug plan. The exact rules have been changing in recent years, so confirm what applies to you right now by calling 1-800-MEDICARE before you make a move.

What is changing for 2027 that D-SNP members in Gilbert should know?

Two program-wide 2027 numbers are already set by CMS. The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 for 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026), and the Part D maximum deductible rises to $700 for 2027 (up from $615 in 2026). The 2027 Part B premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, have not been announced yet; CMS typically publishes them later in the fall. Many D-SNP members pay little or nothing for Part D cost-sharing because of Extra Help, but the overall structure still matters.

Across Maricopa County, 13 plans are not returning for 2027, 17 are new, and 13 have been renamed. One D-SNP is new for 2027 (Wellcare Arizona Complete Health Dual Liberty Sync), and one has been renamed (UHC Dual Complete AZ-YL, previously UHC Dual Complete AZ-Y001). If you are already in a plan, read your Annual Notice of Change — it spells out exactly what is different for your plan next year. If you do nothing and your plan is still offered, it renews automatically with those changes.

How do I confirm my eligibility and compare D-SNPs?

Start with two phone calls and one website. Call AHCCCS to confirm your Medicaid status and level in writing. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to confirm your Medicare enrollment and your current Special Enrollment Period rights. Then use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov to see every plan available in your ZIP code side by side, including premiums, drug coverage and provider networks.

When you compare, check that your doctors, your preferred pharmacy and your regular prescriptions are included — these details are what make one plan fit your life better than another. Each plan's Evidence of Coverage and provider directory has the specifics.