Medicare Advantage

Do You Have Medicare and AHCCCS? Read This First

People in Tucson can choose from 88 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 82 this year. 14 of this year’s plans are gone, 20 are new to Pima County, and 32 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 12 of them under a new name.

TUCSON, Ariz. — Fall 2026. For people in Pima County who have both Medicare and Arizona's Medicaid program (AHCCCS), the 2027 Dual Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) lineup is set. CMS data show 7 D-SNPs will be offered in the county next year, from four carriers, including one plan that is new for 2027 and one that has been renamed. The Annual Enrollment Period runs Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, 2026, and any choice you make in that window takes effect Jan. 1, 2027 — but if you are dual-eligible, you also have chances to change plans outside that window.

What a D-SNP is, in plain language

A Dual Special Needs Plan is a type of Medicare Advantage plan built for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. These plans include Part D drug coverage and are designed to coordinate the two programs so you have one card, one plan to call, and benefits that line up with what Medicaid already covers for you.

In Arizona, the Medicaid program is called AHCCCS (Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System). Your AHCCCS category decides whether you are considered full-benefit dual-eligible (Medicaid covers a broad set of services and your Medicare cost-sharing) or partial-benefit dual-eligible (one of the Medicare Savings Programs helps pay some Medicare costs, but Medicaid is not covering full services).

D-SNPs can have slightly different eligibility rules depending on the plan's design, so the level AHCCCS has you in matters.

The 7 D-SNPs offered in Pima County for 2027

Tucson is in Pima County, where CMS lists the following D-SNPs for the 2027 plan year, by carrier (alphabetical):

• Banner Medicare Advantage — Banner Medicare Advantage Dual (HMO D-SNP); Banner Medicare Advantage Dual (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)
• UnitedHealthcare — UHC Dual Complete AZ-S001 (HMO-POS D-SNP); UHC Dual Complete AZ-YL (HMO-POS D-SNP) (renamed; was UHC Dual Complete AZ-Y001)

The table on this page lists every plan available in the county. For benefits, drug lists, provider networks, and costs, use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE. We don't publish plan-level benefit or price details on this page.

For context, Pima County's 2027 Medicare Advantage lineup includes 88 plans total; alongside the 7 D-SNPs there are 24 Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs) and 5 Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs).

Who qualifies — full vs. partial dual eligibility

You qualify for a D-SNP when both of these are true:

1. You have Medicare Part A and Part B. 2. You have some level of help from AHCCCS (Arizona Medicaid).

The Medicaid piece can look like:

• Full-benefit dual-eligible: AHCCCS covers a broad set of services, often including long-term care supports, in addition to helping with Medicare cost-sharing.
• Partial-benefit dual-eligible: You qualify for a Medicare Savings Program — such as QMB, SLMB, or QI — which helps pay Medicare premiums and, in some cases, cost-sharing, but you are not receiving full Medicaid services.

You don't have to guess which category you are in. AHCCCS can tell you, and the plan will verify your status before enrolling you. If your status changes during the year, your plan options can change too.

How often you can change plans if you're dual-eligible

Most people with Medicare make plan changes during the Annual Enrollment Period (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7) for a Jan. 1 start, or during Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment (Jan. 1 – March 31).

People with Medicaid or Extra Help have additional opportunities. Under current CMS rules, dual-eligible individuals generally have a monthly Special Enrollment Period to:

• Enroll in an integrated D-SNP that works closely with their Medicaid plan, or
• Move to Original Medicare and pick up a stand-alone Part D drug plan.

The specific rules on which SEP applies to your situation have changed in recent years, and they can depend on whether a plan is "fully integrated," "highly integrated," or "coordination-only." Before you switch, confirm what's available to you by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

If you do nothing during the fall window, your current plan simply renews for 2027 if it is still offered — with the changes described in its Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), which arrives by late September.

How to confirm your eligibility — step by step

1. Confirm your Medicaid status with AHCCCS. You can check online at azahcccs.gov or call AHCCCS member services. Ask whether you are full-benefit or partial-benefit dual-eligible, and which category you fall in (for example, QMB). 2. Have your Medicare card ready. You'll need your Medicare number and the start dates of Parts A and B. 3. Compare plans on medicare.gov. The Plan Finder lets you enter your ZIP code, your drugs, and your preferred pharmacies, and it will show the D-SNPs you can join. 4. Call 1-800-MEDICARE for help confirming which Special Enrollment Period you qualify for and when a change would take effect. 5. Read the plan's Evidence of Coverage before you enroll, so you understand the network, rules, and your rights to appeal.

A quick note on 2027 program numbers

Two Part D figures are already confirmed for next year: the out-of-pocket cap on covered drugs rises to $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026), and the maximum Part D deductible a plan can charge is $700 in 2027 (up from $615 in 2026). CMS has also set the Part D national base beneficiary premium at $41.33 for 2027, which is a formula input — not the premium any one plan charges.

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, are expected from CMS later this fall, typically in November. We'll avoid guessing; check medicare.gov once CMS publishes them.