Medicare Advantage

Thinking about a brand-new Medicare Advantage plan in Scottsdale for 2027? Read this first

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.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — This fall, shoppers in Scottsdale will see 17 Medicare Advantage plans on the 2027 lineup that were not sold for 2026. They come from nine carriers, and because they are brand new, none of them has a Star Rating history yet. That does not make them good or bad — it just means you cannot lean on past performance the way you can with a plan that has been around for years. Here is what is new, and how to check any of these plans against your own doctors and prescriptions before the December 7, 2026 deadline.

Which Medicare Advantage plans are new in Scottsdale for 2027?

Scottsdale is in Maricopa County, where CMS lists 17 Medicare Advantage plans as new for 2027 — meaning they were not offered for 2026. They come from nine carriers: Aetna (CVS Health) with 2 new plans, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona with 1, Centene (WellCare) with 1, Devoted Health with 6, Elevance Health (Anthem) with 1, Gold Kidney Health Plan with 1, Humana with 1, SCAN Health Plan with 3, and UnitedHealthcare with 1.

The new plans, in alphabetical order by carrier, are: Aetna Medicare Chronic Care (HMO C-SNP); Aetna Medicare Prime (HMO); Blue Best Life Select (HMO); Wellcare Arizona Complete Health Dual Liberty Sync (HMO D-SNP); 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); Wellpoint I CareMore Home Care (HMO I-SNP); Gold Dialysis Premier (HMO-POS C-SNP); Humana Value Choice (PPO); SCAN DaVita Dialysis Care Complete (HMO-POS C-SNP); SCAN Walmart Medicare Advantage (HMO); SCAN Walmart Medicare Complete (HMO C-SNP); and AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx AZ-MA2 (HMO-POS). The table on this page shows the full lineup for 2027.

What plan types are the new 2027 Scottsdale plans?

Most of the 17 new plans in Maricopa County are HMOs or HMO-POS plans; a smaller number are PPOs. HMO plans generally ask you to stay inside the plan's network and pick a primary care doctor. HMO-POS plans add a limited "point of service" option to see some out-of-network providers for certain services. PPOs offer more freedom to go out of network, usually at a higher cost share.

Knowing the type matters because it tells you how strict the network rules are before you ever get to the price. If your doctor is out of network under an HMO, the plan generally will not pay — even if everything else about the plan looks right.

Are any of the new Scottsdale plans Special Needs Plans?

Yes. Many of the 17 new plans for 2027 are Special Needs Plans (SNPs), which are designed for people who meet specific eligibility rules. A C-SNP is a Chronic Condition SNP for people living with conditions like diabetes, heart disease or kidney disease. A D-SNP is a Dual Eligible SNP for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. An I-SNP is an Institutional SNP, typically for people living in a nursing home or needing that level of care.

You cannot simply pick a SNP because it looks interesting — you have to qualify for it. If you think a SNP fits your situation, confirm the eligibility rules with the plan or with 1-800-MEDICARE before enrolling.

Do the new 2027 plans include drug coverage?

Almost all of the new plans for 2027 include Part D prescription drug coverage built in. One of the 17 new plans — AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx AZ-MA2 (HMO-POS) from UnitedHealthcare — does not include drug coverage, as its name signals.

If you choose a Medicare Advantage plan without drug coverage, be careful about adding a standalone Part D plan. In most Medicare Advantage situations, enrolling in a separate Part D plan will disenroll you from your Medicare Advantage plan. Medicare.gov can walk you through the rules for your specific plan type.

How is a brand-new plan different from one that is renewing?

A renewing plan has a Star Rating and a track record you can look at; a brand-new plan does not. CMS Star Ratings measure things like member experience, customer service and how well a plan manages care, and they are built from data collected over time. A plan that is new for 2027 has not been rated yet simply because there is no history to measure.

That is a program fact, not a reason to pick or skip any plan. It just means you have to do your homework in a different way: lean harder on the plan's own documents, the provider directory and the formulary, instead of past ratings.

How do I check a new 2027 plan against my doctors and prescriptions before December 7?

Use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov. Enter your ZIP code, add your prescriptions and your preferred pharmacies, and then open each plan you are considering to see its drug list (formulary), cost-sharing for your specific medications, and provider directory. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), which is open 24/7.

A good checklist before you enroll:

• Confirm your doctors and hospitals are in the plan's network for 2027 — call the provider's office directly, since directories can lag.
• Check that every prescription you take is on the plan's 2027 formulary, and at what tier.
• Review the plan's Summary of Benefits and, once enrolled, the Evidence of Coverage for the full rules.
• If you already have a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, read your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), which your current plan mailed in September, so you know what is changing for 2027.

What are the key 2027 Medicare dates and figures to know?

The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026. Any change you make in that window takes effect January 1, 2027. If you do nothing and your current plan is offered again next year, it simply renews with the changes described in your ANOC.

A few confirmed 2027 figures from CMS: the Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 (up from $2,100 in 2026), and the Part D maximum deductible is $700 (up from $615 in 2026). The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, along with the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, had not been announced as of this writing; CMS typically publishes them later in the fall.