Medicare Advantage

Phoenix C-SNPs for 2027: how chronic-condition Medicare plans work and who can join

For 2027, Phoenix is looking at 92 Medicare Advantage plans: 17 new, 13 gone since 2026, and 33 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 13 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Maricopa County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

PHOENIX — As the Annual Enrollment Period opens on October 15, 2026, people in and around Phoenix who live with a serious chronic illness have a specific kind of Medicare Advantage plan to consider: the Chronic Condition Special Needs Plan, or C-SNP. For plan year 2027, Maricopa County — the county Phoenix is in — will have 25 C-SNPs available, out of 92 Medicare Advantage plans overall, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source File.

A C-SNP is not a plan anyone can pick off the shelf. It is designed around a qualifying chronic condition, and enrollment requires a provider to confirm the diagnosis. For people who qualify, there is also a Special Enrollment Period that can allow a change outside the usual fall window.

How a C-SNP works

A C-SNP is a type of Medicare Advantage plan. Like other MA plans, it bundles Part A (hospital) and Part B (medical) coverage, and in Maricopa County every C-SNP for 2027 also includes Part D drug coverage. What makes it different is who it is built for: everyone in the plan has the same qualifying chronic condition, or one from the same group of related conditions.

Because the membership is narrower, the plan can shape its drug list, its provider network and its care-management programs around that condition. The trade-off is simple: you only belong there if you have the diagnosis, and you generally use the plan's network of doctors and hospitals.

Who qualifies, and how enrollment is verified

To join a C-SNP, you need Medicare Parts A and B, you must live in the plan's service area, and you must have a qualifying chronic condition. Medicare defines a specific list — common examples include diabetes, chronic heart failure, cardiovascular disorders, chronic lung disorders and end-stage renal disease — and each plan states which condition or group of conditions it serves.

Enrollment is not based on your word alone. The plan has to confirm the diagnosis with your provider, usually by sending a short form for your doctor to sign and return. If the diagnosis cannot be verified within the window Medicare sets, the enrollment does not stick. That verification step is standard, not a sign anything is wrong.

The Special Enrollment Period for chronic conditions

Most people make Medicare Advantage changes during the Annual Enrollment Period — October 15 to December 7, 2026 for coverage that starts January 1, 2027 — or during Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment from January 1 to March 31. People with a qualifying chronic condition have an additional path: a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) that lets them join a C-SNP outside those windows.

In practical terms, that means if you are newly diagnosed in, say, February or July, you do not have to wait until next fall to move into a C-SNP that fits your condition. Once you are enrolled in a C-SNP, the ongoing SEP tied to the condition generally ends, and future changes follow the normal enrollment calendar. Medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE can walk through the exact timing for your situation.

The 2027 C-SNP lineup in Maricopa County

For 2027, 11 carriers will offer C-SNPs in Maricopa County: Aetna (CVS Health), Alignment Health Plan, Centene (WellCare), Devoted Health, Elevance Health (Anthem), Gold Kidney Health Plan, HealthSpring, Humana, SCAN Health Plan, UnitedHealthcare and Verda Health Plan of Arizona.

A few C-SNPs are new for 2027 — including Aetna Medicare Chronic Care (HMO C-SNP), DEVOTED C-SNP ENHANCED 092 AZ, DEVOTED C-SNP GIVEBACK EXTRAS 104 AZ, DEVOTED C-SNP PLUS 093 AZ, Gold Dialysis Premier (HMO-POS C-SNP), SCAN DaVita Dialysis Care Complete (HMO-POS C-SNP) and SCAN Walmart Medicare Complete (HMO C-SNP). Several Alignment Health and Devoted plans have also been renamed; the plan is the same contract, but the name on your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) will look different.

Some plan names state the condition they serve — for example, Wellpoint Lung Care, Gold Dialysis & Kidney, or Humana Gold Plus - Diabetes and Heart. Others, like Wellcare Specialty Simple or Verda Noble Chronic Care, do not spell it out in the name, and you would confirm the qualifying condition in the plan materials. The table below lists every 2027 C-SNP in Maricopa County by carrier.

What else is changing for 2027

A few program-level numbers are worth knowing as you compare plans. The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026), and the Part D maximum deductible is $700 in 2027 (up from $615 in 2026). The Part D national base beneficiary premium for 2027 is $41.33 — that is a formula input CMS uses, not what any particular plan charges.

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, have not been released yet; CMS typically publishes them later in the fall. And remember: if you do nothing during the Annual Enrollment Period, your current plan simply renews for 2027 if it is still offered, with the changes described in its ANOC.

How to compare without guessing

C-SNPs vary — in drug lists, in participating specialists, in dialysis or diabetes care programs, in supplemental benefits — and no article should tell you which one fits your health and your budget. The right tool for a side-by-side look is the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov, which lets you type in your medications and preferred providers. For a live walk-through, 1-800-MEDICARE is available 24/7. Each plan's Evidence of Coverage and provider directory give the final word on what is covered and who is in network.