Medicare Advantage

Mesa's 2027 Medicare Advantage map: 17 new plans, 13 bowing out

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. — Fall 2026. The 2027 Medicare Advantage lineup for Mesa is set, and it looks different from this year's. In Maricopa County — the county Mesa sits in — 17 plans are new for 2027, 13 will not be back, and another 13 are keeping the same basic design but changing their names. Shoppers have from October 15 through December 7, 2026 to pick a plan that starts January 1, 2027.

What the 2027 lineup looks like in Mesa

Medicare Advantage availability is set at the county level, so what's offered in Mesa is what's offered across Maricopa County. For 2027, that works out to 88 Medicare Advantage plans from 16 carriers. By plan type, that's 55 HMOs, 16 HMO-POS plans and 17 PPOs. Thirty-six of the 88 are Special Needs Plans (SNPs) — plans built for people with certain chronic conditions, people who have both Medicare and Medicaid, or people living in an institution like a nursing home. Every plan on the Mesa roster includes Part D drug coverage.

The 16 carriers, listed alphabetically, are Aetna (CVS Health), Alignment Health Plan, Banner Medicare Advantage, Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC), Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, Centene (WellCare), Devoted Health, Elevance Health (Anthem), eternalHealth, Gold Kidney Health Plan, Humana, Mercy Care Advantage, Molina Healthcare of Arizona, SCAN Health Plan, UnitedHealthcare, and Verda Health Plan of Arizona. The table below lists every plan by carrier.

What's new for 2027

Seventeen plans are new to the Mesa area for 2027. They are spread across eight carriers:

• Aetna (CVS Health): Aetna Medicare Chronic Care (HMO C-SNP); Aetna Medicare Prime (HMO).
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona: Blue Best Life Select (HMO).
• Centene (WellCare): Wellcare Arizona Complete Health Dual Liberty Sync (HMO D-SNP).
• Devoted Health: DEVOTED C-SNP ENHANCED 092 AZ (HMO C-SNP); DEVOTED C-SNP GIVEBACK EXTRAS 104 AZ (HMO C-SNP); DEVOTED C-SNP PLUS 093 AZ (HMO C-SNP); DEVOTED CORE 090 AZ (HMO); DEVOTED GIVEBACK 091 AZ (HMO); DEVOTED GIVEBACK EXTRAS 105 AZ (HMO).
• Elevance Health (Anthem): Wellpoint I CareMore Home Care (HMO I-SNP).
• Gold Kidney Health Plan: Gold Dialysis Premier (HMO-POS C-SNP).
• Humana: Humana Value Choice (PPO).
• SCAN Health Plan: SCAN DaVita Dialysis Care Complete (HMO-POS C-SNP); SCAN Walmart Medicare Advantage (HMO); SCAN Walmart Medicare Complete (HMO C-SNP).
• UnitedHealthcare: AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx AZ-MA2 (HMO-POS).

A fair share of what's new is targeted — SNPs for people with kidney disease, heart or diabetes conditions, or dual Medicare-Medicaid eligibility. If you don't fit the condition a C-SNP, D-SNP or I-SNP is built around, you generally cannot enroll in one.

What's not coming back

Thirteen plans will not be offered in 2027:

• Aetna (CVS Health): Aetna Medicare Elite (PPO); Aetna Medicare Prime (HMO); Aetna Medicare Prime Chronic Care (HMO C-SNP); Aetna Medicare Prime Extra (HMO); Aetna Medicare Signature Extra (HMO).
• Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC): HealthSpring Preferred (HMO).
• Centene (WellCare): Wellcare Arizona Complete Health Dual Align (HMO D-SNP); Wellcare Dual Liberty Sync (HMO D-SNP); Wellcare Giveback (HMO); Wellcare Simple Value (HMO).
• Elevance Health (Anthem): Wellpoint I CareMore Home Care (HMO I-SNP).
• eternalHealth: eternalHealth Grand Give Back (HMO).
• SCAN Health Plan: SCAN Strive (HMO C-SNP).

If one of these is your plan, your carrier is required to send you a non-renewal notice this fall. You'll also qualify for a Special Enrollment Period that runs from December 8, 2026 through the end of February 2027, giving you extra time to pick a new Medicare Advantage plan or move back to Original Medicare with a stand-alone Part D plan. You do not have to wait for that SEP — you can also make the change during the Annual Enrollment Period, which many people prefer so coverage lines up with January 1.

A quick note: Aetna is dropping a plan called "Aetna Medicare Prime (HMO)" and introducing a new plan with the same name for 2027. Even though the name matches, CMS treats it as a different plan, so if you're in Aetna's current Prime HMO, you'll need to look at the specifics of the new one before assuming it's a replacement.

Plans getting a new name

Thirteen plans are returning for 2027 but under a new name. Among them: five of Alignment Health Plan's plans (for example, Alignment Health smartHMO becomes Alignment Health Smart 005), two HealthSpring plans from Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC), one Devoted Health C-SNP, eternalHealth's Fry's co-branded plan (now eternalHealth Harmony), three Humana plans, and UnitedHealthcare's UHC Dual Complete AZ-Y001, now AZ-YL. A rename is just that — the plan is still there — but benefits, networks and costs can still shift from one year to the next, so the Annual Notice of Change is still worth a careful read.

How to use this to decide

The Mesa roster is large enough that most people are not comparing all 88 plans — they're narrowing by plan type and situation.

• Original Medicare, no changes needed. If you have Original Medicare plus a Medigap policy and a stand-alone Part D plan, nothing on this list changes that. You can still shop your Part D plan during AEP.
• Already on Medicare Advantage. Read your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), which was mailed by late September 2026. It spells out any premium, deductible, drug list, network or benefit changes for 2027. If the plan is on the "leaving" list above, you'll get a separate non-renewal letter.
• HMO vs. HMO-POS vs. PPO. HMOs generally require you to use the plan's network and get a referral to see specialists. HMO-POS plans add some out-of-network flexibility. PPOs usually let you see any Medicare-accepting provider, often at a higher cost out of network. Mesa has plans in all three categories.
• Special Needs Plans. If you have Medicare and Medicaid, a qualifying chronic condition (like diabetes, heart disease or end-stage renal disease), or you live in a long-term care setting, an SNP may fit. You have to meet the eligibility rule to join.

The 2027 numbers CMS has confirmed

Two Part D figures are set for 2027 and will apply to every plan on the Mesa list:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027, up from $2,100 in 2026. Once your out-of-pocket drug spending hits that cap, you pay $0 for covered Part D drugs the rest of the year.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $700 in 2027, up from $615 in 2026. Individual plans can set a lower deductible.
• The Part D national base beneficiary premium is $41.33 for 2027. That's a formula input Medicare uses behind the scenes — it is not what any specific 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 typically publishes those later in the fall, usually in November. The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan — the option to spread drug costs across the year in monthly installments instead of paying at the pharmacy — continues to be available.

Dates to keep in mind

• October 15 – December 7, 2026: Annual Enrollment Period. Pick, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan. The change starts January 1, 2027.
• January 1 – March 31, 2027: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment. If you're in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1, you get one chance to switch to a different MA plan or return to Original Medicare with a Part D plan.
• December 8, 2026 – end of February 2027: Special Enrollment Period if your current plan is being discontinued.
• If you do nothing: your current plan renews for 2027 if it is being offered, with the changes listed in its ANOC.