Medicare Advantage

UnitedHealthcare's 2027 Medicare Advantage plans in Phoenix: one new, one renamed

Phoenix, Ariz. — Fall 2026. UnitedHealthcare's Medicare Advantage lineup in Maricopa County is set for 2027, and if you already have a plan from this carrier, the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) that arrived in late September is the single most important piece of mail in your home right now. The carrier is offering nine Medicare Advantage plans in the county next year, including one brand-new plan and one that has been renamed. None of its current plans are leaving the county.

MyMedicarePlans.org is an independent consumer site. We are not UnitedHealthcare, and we are not Medicare. UnitedHealthcare is one of 16 carriers selling Medicare Advantage in Maricopa County for 2027; together those carriers offer 92 plans. This article walks through only the UnitedHealthcare lineup, so you can see what the carrier is putting on the table and check it against your own doctors and prescriptions before December 7.

How many UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans are offered in Phoenix for 2027?

UnitedHealthcare is offering 9 Medicare Advantage plans in Maricopa County — the county Phoenix sits in — for plan year 2027. Eight are HMO-POS plans and one is a PPO, and all nine include Part D prescription drug coverage.

Four of the nine are Special Needs Plans, designed for people who meet specific eligibility rules: two Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) for people with both Medicare and Medicaid, one Chronic Condition Special Needs Plan (C-SNP), and one Institutional Special Needs Plan (I-SNP) for people living in a nursing home. The other five are general Medicare Advantage plans anyone with Medicare in the service area can consider. The table below lists every plan by name and type.

What is new or not returning in UnitedHealthcare's 2027 Phoenix lineup?

For 2027, UnitedHealthcare is adding 1 new plan in Maricopa County, has renamed 1 plan, and is not discontinuing any of its current plans. That means every current member has a plan to renew into on January 1, 2027.

The new plan is AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx AZ-MA2 (HMO-POS). The renamed plan is UHC Dual Complete AZ-YL (HMO-POS D-SNP), which was previously called UHC Dual Complete AZ-Y001 (HMO-POS D-SNP). A rename does not necessarily mean the plan itself is the same as before — the specifics, including any changes to benefits, costs or network, live in that plan's Annual Notice of Change and Evidence of Coverage.

What are the plan types UnitedHealthcare offers in Maricopa County?

UnitedHealthcare's 2027 Phoenix-area roster uses two plan structures: HMO-POS and PPO. HMO-POS stands for Health Maintenance Organization with a Point-of-Service option — it generally uses a defined network and may allow some out-of-network care under specific rules. A PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) typically offers more flexibility to see out-of-network providers, usually at a higher share of cost.

The Special Needs Plans in the lineup are built for specific populations:

• D-SNP (Dual Eligible): for people enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid.
• C-SNP (Chronic Condition): for people with a qualifying chronic illness.
• I-SNP (Institutional): for people who live in a nursing home or long-term care setting.

You can only enroll in a Special Needs Plan if you meet its eligibility rules. The general HMO-POS and PPO plans do not have those extra requirements.

How do I check a UnitedHealthcare plan against my doctors and prescriptions before December 7?

The most reliable way to confirm whether your doctors are in-network and your drugs are covered is the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov. Enter your ZIP code and your prescriptions, and you'll see each plan's drug list (formulary), its provider network, and its full cost details for 2027.

A short checklist for the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7, 2026):

1. Read your ANOC. If you're already in a UnitedHealthcare plan, the Annual Notice of Change compares 2026 to 2027 for that specific plan. 2. List your prescriptions and doctors. Include dosages for drugs and the full name of each provider or facility. 3. Run the Plan Finder. At medicare.gov, compare any plan you're considering against that list. 4. Call to confirm. Call the plan directly (the number is on its Summary of Benefits) to confirm a specific doctor or pharmacy is in-network for 2027. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), 24/7. 5. Decide by December 7, 2026. Your choice takes effect January 1, 2027.

If you do nothing, your current plan renews automatically — assuming it is offered next year — with whatever changes are described in its ANOC.

What 2027 Medicare figures are already known?

A few program-level numbers for 2027 are already published by CMS and apply regardless of which plan you pick:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026).
• Part D maximum deductible: $700 in 2027 (up from $615 in 2026).
• Part D national base beneficiary premium: $41.33 for 2027. This is a formula input Medicare uses behind the scenes, not what any specific plan charges.

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, have not yet been announced. CMS typically publishes those figures later in the fall, usually in November. We'll update our coverage when they're released.

What happens after December 7 if I want to change my Medicare Advantage plan?

If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1, 2027, you'll have one more window: the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 – March 31, 2027. During that window you can switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan once, or drop Medicare Advantage and return to Original Medicare (and add a stand-alone Part D plan).

Outside of these windows, changes generally require a Special Enrollment Period tied to a qualifying life event — for example, moving out of your plan's service area, losing other coverage, or becoming eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare.gov lists the full set of Special Enrollment rules.