Medicare Advantage

Mesa Dual-Eligible? Your Plan Window Isn't Just Fall

People in Mesa can choose from 92 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 88 this year. 13 of this year’s plans are gone, 17 are new to Maricopa County, and 33 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 13 of them under a new name.

MESA, Ariz. — If you have both Medicare and Medicaid (in Arizona, that is AHCCCS), you have a special lane during this fall's enrollment season. For 2027, Maricopa County — the county Mesa sits in — will have 10 Dual Special Needs Plans, or D-SNPs, from six carriers. One is new, one has been renamed, and the rest return. The window to pick one for a January 1, 2027 start is October 15 to December 7, 2026 — but dual-eligible members also have chances to change outside that window.

What a D-SNP is, in plain English

A Dual Special Needs Plan is a type of Medicare Advantage plan designed for people who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. The plan covers your Medicare benefits — hospital, medical, and (in every Maricopa County D-SNP for 2027) prescription drugs — and coordinates with your Medicaid benefits.

The federal Medicare program sets the Medicare rules. Arizona's Medicaid program, AHCCCS, decides your Medicaid status. The two work together inside the plan.

Who qualifies: full vs. partial dual eligibility

You are "dual eligible" if you have Medicare (because of age or disability) and you also qualify for Medicaid or a Medicare Savings Program. There are two broad groups:

• Full dual eligible — You have Medicare and full Medicaid benefits. Medicaid can help cover services Medicare does not, such as long-term services and supports.
• Partial dual eligible — You have Medicare and a Medicare Savings Program (such as QMB, SLMB, or QI) that helps pay some Medicare costs like premiums or cost sharing, but you do not have full Medicaid.

Your exact category decides which D-SNPs you can join and what extra help you get. AHCCCS is the office that confirms your Medicaid level. If you are not sure where you stand, call AHCCCS or 1‑800‑MEDICARE.

The 10 D-SNPs offered in Maricopa County for 2027

Below are the D-SNPs available in Maricopa County for plan year 2027, listed alphabetically by carrier. The table on this page lists each one in full. You cannot judge a plan by its name — benefits, drug lists, provider networks and cost sharing differ, and the Evidence of Coverage and Medicare Plan Finder are the right places to compare.

• 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 (was UHC Dual Complete AZ-Y001)

For context, Maricopa County will also have 25 Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs) and 5 Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs) in 2027, for people with certain qualifying conditions or who live in a nursing home.

How often you can change plans

Most people with Medicare can change plans only during the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7, 2026, for coverage that starts January 1, 2027) and the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (January 1 – March 31).

Dual-eligible members and people who get Extra Help with drug costs have more flexibility. In general, you get a monthly Special Enrollment Period that lets you:

• Enroll in or switch to an integrated D-SNP, or
• Leave Medicare Advantage and return to Original Medicare with a stand-alone Part D drug plan.

The exact rules on how often and into which plans have been updated by CMS in recent years, so confirm the current rule for your situation with 1‑800‑MEDICARE before you make a change.

What else is new for 2027

For Part D, which every D-SNP in the county includes, CMS has published two figures for 2027:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027 (from $2,100 in 2026).
• The Part D maximum deductible rises to $700 in 2027 (from $615 in 2026).

Most dual-eligible members pay little or nothing for covered drugs because of Extra Help, but these are the program-wide ceilings. The 2027 Part B premium and deductible and the 2027 IRMAA brackets had not been announced as of fall 2026; CMS usually publishes them in November.

If you already have a D-SNP, read your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). It tells you exactly what is changing in your plan for 2027. Doing nothing means your current plan renews with those changes if it is still offered.

How to confirm your eligibility and compare plans

• Confirm your Medicaid status with AHCCCS (azahcccs.gov) — this determines which D-SNPs you qualify for.
• Compare D-SNPs side by side at medicare.gov using the Plan Finder; sign in to see your drugs and pharmacies.
• Call 1‑800‑MEDICARE (TTY 1‑877‑486‑2048), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for free personalized help.
• Read the plan's Evidence of Coverage and provider directory before you enroll to check your doctors, hospitals and prescriptions.