Medicare Advantage

Before You Pick a 2027 Plan in Scottsdale, Read This

For 2027, Scottsdale 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.

Medicare AdvantageScottsdale, AZ

For Medicare shoppers in Scottsdale, the 2027 plan year brings a long menu to sort through. Scottsdale sits inside Maricopa County, and Medicare Advantage availability is set at the county level. That means anyone with a Scottsdale ZIP code can shop from the same pool of plans that CMS lists for Maricopa County — and for 2027, that pool is 79 Medicare Advantage plans offered by 16 different carriers.

This article walks through that lineup carrier by carrier, so you can see who is selling in the area, what plan types they use (HMO, HMO-POS, or PPO), and whether the plans include drug coverage. The full plan-by-plan list is in the table below.

How the Scottsdale-area lineup is built

Every Medicare Advantage plan on the Maricopa County list for 2027 includes prescription drug coverage. In Medicare shorthand, these are called MA-PD plans. That is worth noting because in some parts of the country people combine a drug-only (PDP) plan with Original Medicare — but for Advantage shoppers here, the drug benefit is baked in.

The 88 plans split by type like this:

• 55 HMO plans
• 16 HMO-POS plans (a point-of-service variation on an HMO)
• 17 PPO plans

Thirty-six of those 88 are Special Needs Plans. SNPs are limited to people who meet a specific condition — for example, having both Medicare and Medicaid (D-SNP), living with certain chronic illnesses (C-SNP), or living in an institutional setting (I-SNP). If you do not meet the qualifying condition, you cannot enroll in that particular plan.

The 16 carriers selling MA plans in the area

Below is the roster of carriers offering Medicare Advantage plans in Maricopa County for 2027, in alphabetical order, along with the plan types each one uses and how many of their plans are SNPs. Individual plan names are shown in the full table on this page.

• Aetna (CVS Health) — 9 plans (HMO, PPO; 1 SNP)
• Alignment Health Plan — 5 plans (HMO; 3 SNPs)
• Banner Medicare Advantage — 3 plans (HMO; 2 SNPs)
• Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC) — 6 plans (HMO, PPO; 1 SNP)
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona — 3 plans (HMO; 1 SNP)
• Centene (WellCare) — 6 plans (HMO; 3 SNPs)
• Devoted Health — 10 plans (HMO, PPO; 3 SNPs)
• Elevance Health (Anthem) — 5 plans (HMO, HMO-POS; 4 SNPs)
• eternalHealth — 4 plans (HMO, HMO-POS)
• Gold Kidney Health Plan — 3 plans (HMO-POS; 3 SNPs)
• Humana — 14 plans (HMO, PPO; 2 SNPs)
• Mercy Care Advantage — 3 plans (HMO; 3 SNPs)
• Molina Healthcare of Arizona — 1 plan (HMO; 1 SNP)
• SCAN Health Plan — 6 plans (HMO, HMO-POS; 4 SNPs)
• UnitedHealthcare — 8 plans (HMO-POS, PPO; 4 SNPs)
• Verda Health Plan of Arizona — 2 plans (HMO; 1 SNP)

The table below on this page lists every plan by name, its type, and whether it includes drug coverage.

What the plan-type labels actually mean

For most Scottsdale shoppers, the choice among the 88 plans comes down to plan type first, then the details.

• HMO (Health Maintenance Organization). You pick a primary care doctor and generally stay inside the plan's network. Referrals are often required for specialists.
• HMO-POS (Point of Service). Like an HMO, but with limited out-of-network coverage for certain services.
• PPO (Preferred Provider Organization). More flexibility to see out-of-network providers, usually at a higher cost.
• SNP (Special Needs Plan). An HMO or PPO that only enrolls people who meet a specific condition — dual eligibility, a chronic illness, or institutional care.

Names in the plan roster carry hints. For example, plans labeled "D-SNP" (like Mercy Care Advantage or Molina Medicare Complete Care) are for people with both Medicare and Medicaid. Plans labeled "C-SNP" (such as Alignment Health Heart & Diabetes or Wellpoint Chronic Care) are for people with qualifying chronic conditions. Plans labeled "I-SNP" (such as SCAN Embrace or UHC Nursing Home Plan) are institutional plans.

Program-level numbers to know for 2027

These figures apply nationwide and can help you compare plans:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026. Once your covered drug spending hits that ceiling, you pay $0 for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• The Part D deductible cannot exceed $615 in 2026 ($700 in 2027).
• The old coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone. Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs over the year in monthly installments instead of paying at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA (higher Part B and Part D premiums for higher incomes) starts above $109,000 for a single filer in 2026.

How to narrow 88 down to one

With this many choices, most people benefit from a filter-first approach:

1. Start with your doctors and hospitals. Check each plan's provider directory to see whether your current providers are in-network. 2. Add your drugs. Enter your prescriptions into the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov to see how each plan covers them. 3. Look at plan type. If you travel or split time between states, a PPO's out-of-network coverage may matter more than in an HMO. 4. Check SNP eligibility. If you have Medicaid, a qualifying chronic condition, or live in a nursing facility, you may have access to plans built for your situation. 5. Compare total cost, not just premium. Premiums, deductibles, copays, and the drug tiers all combine into what you actually pay across the year.

Star Ratings, published by CMS, are one more piece of information to consider — they measure things like member experience and customer service. Ratings can shift year to year, so check current ones on the Plan Finder.

Dates to circle

• Oct. 15 – Dec. 7: Medicare Annual Enrollment Period. You can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan for coverage that starts Jan. 1.
• Jan. 1 – March 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period. If you're already in an MA plan, you can switch to another MA plan or go back to Original Medicare (and add a Part D plan).

Outside these windows, you generally need a Special Enrollment Period — for example, if you move out of your plan's service area or lose other coverage.