Medicare Advantage

Phoenix D-SNPs for 2027: 10 Plans From Six Carriers

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 — If you have both Medicare and Arizona Medicaid (AHCCCS), you have a type of plan built just for you — and the 2027 lineup is now set. In Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, six carriers will offer a combined 10 Dual Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) for the coverage year that starts January 1, 2027. The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, but people with both Medicare and Medicaid also get extra chances to change plans during the year.

Here is what that means for Phoenix residents, who qualifies, and how to confirm your status before you pick.

What a D-SNP is, in plain terms

A Dual Special Needs Plan is a type of Medicare Advantage plan designed only for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. These plans coordinate your Medicare benefits (hospital, doctor and usually drug coverage) with the help you get from Arizona's Medicaid program, AHCCCS. All 10 of the D-SNPs in Maricopa County for 2027 include drug coverage.

Plan details — premiums, copays, provider networks, drug lists, extra benefits and star ratings — vary by plan and are not covered here. For those specifics, use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov, call 1-800-MEDICARE, or read the plan's Evidence of Coverage.

The 10 D-SNPs in Maricopa County for 2027

Listed alphabetically by carrier. The table on this page shows every plan; the names below are what you will see on Medicare Plan Finder.

• 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

For context, Maricopa County's wider 2027 lineup also includes 25 Chronic Condition Special Needs Plans (C-SNPs) and 5 Institutional Special Needs Plans (I-SNPs). Those are different programs with different eligibility rules.

Who qualifies: full vs. partial dual eligibility

Dual eligibility simply means you qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. In Arizona, Medicaid is run by AHCCCS (the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System). There are two broad groups:

• Full dual eligibility. You have Medicare and you get full AHCCCS benefits. Medicaid also pays your Medicare premiums and most cost-sharing.
• Partial dual eligibility. You have Medicare, and AHCCCS helps pay some Medicare costs — such as your Part B premium — through a Medicare Savings Program, but you do not get full Medicaid benefits.

Each D-SNP is designed for specific dual-eligible groups. Some only accept people with full dual status; others accept partial duals too. The plan or AHCCCS can confirm which category you fall into before you enroll. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE for help.

How often a dual-eligible person can change plans

Most people have two chances a year to make Medicare Advantage changes:

• The Annual Enrollment Period, October 15 – December 7, 2026, with new coverage starting January 1, 2027.
• The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, January 1 – March 31, 2027.

Dual-eligible members and people who get Extra Help with Part D get more flexibility. Under current CMS rules, you generally have a monthly Special Enrollment Period to either join an integrated D-SNP that works closely with your Medicaid plan, or move back to Original Medicare and add a stand-alone drug plan. The rules around which SEP applies — and when a change takes effect — have shifted in recent years, so confirm the current rule for your situation with 1-800-MEDICARE before you switch.

If you do nothing during the fall window, your current plan simply renews for 2027 if it is still offered, with any updates described in your plan's Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). Read that notice — it is how you learn what, if anything, is changing for you next year.

How to confirm your eligibility and your options

Three steps are enough for most people:

1. Confirm your Medicaid status with AHCCCS. Call AHCCCS or check your account to confirm whether you have full or partial dual eligibility. This decides which D-SNPs you can join. 2. Confirm your Medicare status. Log in at medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048, 24/7) to see your current plan and enrollment periods. 3. Compare plans on Medicare Plan Finder. At medicare.gov, enter your ZIP code, your drugs and your pharmacy. Filter to Dual Special Needs Plans to see the 10 D-SNPs available in Maricopa County and the details of each one.

A few 2027 program figures worth knowing

These apply to Part D drug coverage inside any Medicare Advantage plan, including D-SNPs:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026).
• 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 — this is a formula input, not what any specific plan charges.

Many dual-eligible members pay little or nothing out of pocket for prescriptions because of Extra Help and Medicaid, but the program caps are useful context. The 2027 Part B premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, have not been announced yet; CMS typically publishes them in the fall.