Medicare Advantage

Medicare and Medicaid in Arizona: 11 Dual Special Needs Plans for 2027

PHOENIX — Arizonans who have both Medicare and Medicaid will have 11 Dual Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) to consider for the 2027 plan year, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files for CY2027. Those 11 plans sit inside a larger field of 148 Medicare Advantage plans available somewhere in the state, which also includes 42 Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs) and 5 Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs). Six carriers are offering D-SNPs in Arizona for 2027, and availability varies county by county.

The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and a choice made during that window takes effect January 1, 2027. Dual-eligible residents also have additional opportunities to change plans during the year, explained below.

What a D-SNP is, and who qualifies

A Dual Special Needs Plan is a type of Medicare Advantage plan built for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. In Arizona, Medicaid is administered by the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), and your dual-eligible status is confirmed by that state agency.

Dual eligibility comes in two broad forms. "Full" dual eligibility means a person qualifies for full Medicaid benefits in addition to Medicare. "Partial" dual eligibility covers people who get help from Medicaid with certain Medicare costs through a Medicare Savings Program but do not receive full Medicaid benefits. Both groups may be eligible for a D-SNP, but the specific plan a person can join depends on the category of dual eligibility the state has on file. If you are unsure of your status, AHCCCS is the office that can confirm it.

All 11 of Arizona's 2027 D-SNPs include prescription drug coverage, according to the CMS Landscape file. The specifics of what each plan covers, which doctors are in-network, and which drugs are on the formulary are published in each plan's Evidence of Coverage and directories, and listed on the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov.

The statewide count and the carriers offering them

For 2027, six carriers are offering D-SNPs in Arizona:

• Banner Medicare Advantage (2 plans)
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (1 plan)
• Centene (WellCare) (2 plans)
• Mercy Care Advantage (3 plans)
• Molina Healthcare of Arizona (1 plan)
• UnitedHealthcare (2 plans)

The full plan list on this page shows each plan's name, type, and the number of Arizona counties where it is offered. A few notes from the CMS data: Centene's two Wellcare Arizona Complete Health Dual Liberty Sync (HMO D-SNP) offerings are listed as new for the coming year. UnitedHealthcare's UHC Dual Complete AZ-YL (HMO-POS D-SNP) was renamed from UHC Dual Complete AZ-Y001 (HMO-POS D-SNP). The other D-SNPs on the list — including Banner Medicare Advantage Dual, Health Choice Pathway from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, Mercy Care Advantage, Molina Medicare Complete Care, and UHC Dual Complete AZ-S001 — carry forward into 2027.

Because this is a statewide count, a plan listed above may not be offered in your specific county. The tables on this page show the county counts; the Medicare Plan Finder shows the exact ZIP code match.

How often a dual-eligible person can change plans

Most people with Medicare make a plan choice during the Annual Enrollment Period, October 15 – December 7, 2026, with coverage starting January 1, 2027. Dual-eligible Arizonans, however, have more flexibility than that.

People who have both Medicare and Medicaid generally qualify for a Special Enrollment Period that lets them change Medicare Advantage or Part D coverage once per calendar quarter during the first three quarters of the year (January–March, April–June, and July–September). The fourth-quarter change is handled through the Annual Enrollment Period. There is also a Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31 each year that allows one additional change for people already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan.

The exact rules, including what triggers a Special Enrollment Period and how changes are effective, are published by CMS on medicare.gov under Medicare enrollment periods. If you lose or gain Medicaid eligibility, that itself can open an enrollment opportunity.

Checking a plan in your county

Because D-SNPs are sold county by county, the most reliable way to see what is actually available where you live is the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov. Enter your ZIP code, indicate that you have Medicaid, and the tool will filter to the D-SNPs offered in your county for 2027. From there you can open each plan's details — premium, cost-sharing, drug list, provider network, and star rating — directly from the official source.

The tables on this page are a starting point. They tell you which carriers and plan names exist statewide and roughly how broad each plan's county footprint is. They do not replace a ZIP-code check, and they do not include pricing or benefits. For those, go to medicare.gov or read the plan's Evidence of Coverage.

If you are comparing year to year, the CMS MA Landscape Source Files for the current and coming plan year are the public record for what changed — new plans, renamed plans, and plans that are no longer offered.

Free help

You do not have to sort through this alone, and you do not have to pay anyone to help you.

• Visit medicare.gov to use the Plan Finder, review your current coverage, and read plan documents.
• Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including TTY service at 1-877-486-2048.
• Contact AHCCCS if you need to confirm or update your Medicaid eligibility, since that status drives D-SNP enrollment.