Medicare Advantage

New Medicare Advantage plans coming to Tucson for 2027: how to vet one before Dec. 7

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 — When the Annual Enrollment Period opens Oct. 15, Tucson shoppers will see something they didn't last fall: 20 Medicare Advantage plans that are brand new for 2027, including the first-ever Pima County offerings from a carrier that wasn't here before. The window to pick, switch or stay runs through Dec. 7, 2026, with any change taking effect Jan. 1, 2027.

Tucson is in Pima County, where CMS plan availability is set. For 2027, 20 of the 88 Medicare Advantage plans offered in the county are new — meaning they weren't sold here in 2026. Ten carriers are behind those launches, from familiar names like Humana and UnitedHealthcare to Verda Health Plan of Arizona, which did not offer a Pima County plan last year.

Who is adding plans in Pima County for 2027

The 20 new plans are coming from these carriers (listed alphabetically, with the number each is adding):

• Aetna (CVS Health) — 2
• Alignment Health Plan — 1
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona — 1
• Centene (WellCare) — 1
• Devoted Health — 7
• eternalHealth — 1
• Humana — 1
• SCAN Health Plan — 3
• UnitedHealthcare — 1
• Verda Health Plan of Arizona — 2

Devoted Health is launching the most new plans in the county, and Verda Health Plan of Arizona is new to the Pima County roster entirely. The table below lists every plan.

The new plans, by carrier

These are the plans CMS lists as new for 2027 in Pima County, grouped by carrier in alphabetical order. Plan type and drug-coverage status come straight from the CMS Landscape file. We cannot share premiums, copays, benefits, networks or ratings here — those come from the plan documents themselves.

Aetna (CVS Health)

• Aetna Medicare Chronic Care (HMO C-SNP) — with drug coverage
• Aetna Medicare Prime (HMO) — with drug coverage

Alignment Health Plan

• Alignment Health ONE 008 (HMO) — with drug coverage

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona

• Blue Best Life Select (HMO) — with drug coverage

Centene (WellCare)

• Wellcare Arizona Complete Health Dual Liberty Sync (HMO D-SNP) — with drug coverage

Devoted Health

• DEVOTED C-SNP ENHANCED 096 AZ (HMO C-SNP) — with drug coverage
• DEVOTED C-SNP GIVEBACK EXTRAS 102 AZ (HMO C-SNP) — with drug coverage
• DEVOTED C-SNP PLUS 097 AZ (HMO C-SNP) — with drug coverage
• DEVOTED CORE 021 AZ (HMO) — with drug coverage
• DEVOTED CORE 094 AZ (HMO) — with drug coverage
• DEVOTED GIVEBACK 095 AZ (HMO) — with drug coverage
• DEVOTED GIVEBACK EXTRAS 107 AZ (HMO) — with drug coverage

eternalHealth

• eternalHealth Catalina (HMO) — with drug coverage

Humana

• Humana Value Choice (PPO) — with drug coverage

SCAN Health Plan

• SCAN DaVita Dialysis Care Complete (HMO-POS C-SNP) — with drug coverage
• SCAN Walmart Medicare Advantage (HMO) — with drug coverage
• SCAN Walmart Medicare Complete (HMO C-SNP) — with drug coverage

UnitedHealthcare

• AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx AZ-MA3 (HMO-POS) — with drug coverage

Verda Health Plan of Arizona

• Verda Noble Care (HMO) — with drug coverage
• Verda Noble Chronic Care (HMO C-SNP) — with drug coverage

All 20 new plans include prescription drug coverage. Most are HMOs; one is a PPO and two use the HMO-POS structure.

Special Needs Plans among the new launches

A Special Needs Plan (SNP) is a Medicare Advantage plan tailored to a specific group. Of the 20 plans new for 2027 in Pima County, several are SNPs:

• C-SNPs (Chronic Condition SNPs) — for people living with a qualifying chronic illness such as diabetes, heart disease, chronic kidney disease or dialysis-dependent ESRD. New C-SNPs for 2027 include Aetna Medicare Chronic Care, three new Devoted Health C-SNPs, SCAN DaVita Dialysis Care Complete, SCAN Walmart Medicare Complete, and Verda Noble Chronic Care.
• D-SNPs (Dual Eligible SNPs) — for people enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid. Wellcare Arizona Complete Health Dual Liberty Sync is new for 2027.

To enroll in a C-SNP, you generally need a doctor's attestation confirming the condition. To enroll in a D-SNP, you must have active Medicaid coverage. If you don't fit the category, these plans aren't open to you — even if the name catches your eye.

How a new plan differs from a renewing one

A plan "renewing" for 2027 has a history: last year's benefits, last year's Star Rating, and current members whose experiences shape reviews. A new plan has none of that yet.

The practical differences:

• No Star Rating. CMS Star Ratings are calculated from prior-year performance data on things like customer service, drug safety and member complaints. A plan in its first year simply doesn't have the data yet. That's a fact about the rating system, not a signal to pick or skip the plan.
• No current members to ask. You can't talk to a neighbor who's been on it.
• A fresh network and formulary. The provider list and the drug list are built new. That's exactly why vetting matters.

What's the same: the plan still has to follow Medicare's rules, cover everything Original Medicare covers, cap your in-network out-of-pocket spending, and (if it has Part D) honor the 2027 Part D out-of-pocket cap of $2,400 and a maximum deductible of $700. For comparison, the 2026 Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 and the maximum deductible is $615.

How to vet a plan against your doctors and prescriptions before Dec. 7

Before you enroll in any plan — new or renewing — do these three checks. All are free and take about 20 minutes on medicare.gov.

1. Enter your drugs on the Medicare Plan Finder. Go to medicare.gov, choose "Find health & drug plans," and type in each prescription with its exact dose. The tool shows which plans cover your drugs, at what tier, and estimated yearly costs. 2. Check the plan's provider directory for your doctors and hospitals. The Plan Finder links to each plan's directory, or you can call the plan directly. For HMOs, in-network status is critical; for PPOs, it still affects what you pay. Confirm your primary care doctor, your specialists, and the hospital you'd want to use. 3. Read the Summary of Benefits. This is a short document every plan publishes. It spells out copays, the deductible, the out-of-pocket maximum, and extras like dental, vision or hearing.

If the plan looks right on paper but you still have questions, call 1-800-MEDICARE (available 24/7) or the plan's enrollment line. Any switch you make between Oct. 15 and Dec. 7, 2026 begins Jan. 1, 2027.

A few 2027 program figures CMS has not yet set: the Part B standard premium and deductible, and the IRMAA income brackets and surcharges. Those are usually announced in November. The Part D national base beneficiary premium for 2027 is $41.33 — that's a formula input, not what any specific plan charges.