Medicare Advantage

Confirming Dual Eligibility in Pinellas Before You Enroll

Pinellas County has 118 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 29 plans are not coming back, 18 are new, and 47 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 17 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for St. Petersburg, not which plan to pick.

St. Petersburg, Fla. — Fall 2026. If you have both Medicare and Medicaid and live in or around St. Petersburg, this is the season when the Dual Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) lineup for 2027 comes into focus. St. Petersburg sits in Pinellas County, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) sets plan availability at the county level. For 2027, the Pinellas County landscape includes 32 D-SNPs from 10 carriers, with some names new, some renamed, and some returning.

Below is a plain-English guide: who qualifies, how often a dual-eligible person can switch, and how to confirm your eligibility. The table on this page lists every plan — this article explains the rules around them.

What is a D-SNP, and how many are offered in Pinellas County for 2027?

A D-SNP is a type of Medicare Advantage plan built for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. For 2027, Pinellas County has 32 D-SNPs from 10 carriers, out of 118 Medicare Advantage plans overall. The other Special Needs Plans in the county are 27 Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs) and 9 Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs).

D-SNPs coordinate your Medicare benefits with your Medicaid benefits in one plan, and they all include Part D drug coverage. The carriers offering D-SNPs in the county for 2027 are Aetna (CVS Health), Centene (WellCare), Devoted Health, Elevance Health (Anthem), Florida Complete Care, HealthSpring, Humana, Solis Health Plans, Ultimate Health Plans, and UnitedHealthcare.

Who qualifies for a D-SNP in St. Petersburg?

To join a D-SNP, you must have Medicare Parts A and B and also be enrolled in Florida Medicaid at a level the plan accepts. Florida's Medicaid agency confirms your category, and that category decides which D-SNPs you can enroll in.

In general, there are two broad groups:

• Full dual eligibles. You have full Florida Medicaid benefits in addition to Medicare.
• Partial dual eligibles. You qualify for a Medicare Savings Program such as QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary), SLMB (Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary), or QI. Medicaid helps pay some Medicare costs, but you may not get full Medicaid services.

You can see this split reflected in the plan names in the table — for example, plans labeled "Full," "QMB," "Partial," or "Integrated." Some are designed only for people with full Medicaid; others serve specific partial categories. If you are not sure which category you are in, Florida's Department of Children and Families or your Medicaid card can confirm it, and 1-800-MEDICARE can help you match that to a plan you are eligible to join.

Which D-SNPs are new, renamed, or returning in Pinellas County for 2027?

Several D-SNPs are new or renamed in the county for 2027. New names on the 2027 lineup include Aetna Medicare Partial Dual Select, Wellcare Sunshine Health Dual Access, Wellcare Sunshine Health Dual Align, Florida Complete Care-Duals VIP, Humana Dual Integrated (PPO D-SNP), and UHC Dual Complete FL-Y5.

Renames include Aetna Medicare QMB Only Select (was Aetna Medicare Dual Select), Wellcare Sunshine Health Dual Reserve (was Wellcare Dual Reserve), DEVOTED DUAL QMB 052 FL (was DEVOTED DUAL PLUS 052 FL), Humana Dual Select H1036-102 and H1036-314 (previously Humana Gold Plus SNP-DE), Humana Dual Select H5216-394 (previously HumanaChoice Florida SNP-DE), and several UHC Dual Complete plans. A rename is not the same as a benefit change — your plan's Annual Notice of Change spells out what is actually different.

Across the county's broader Medicare Advantage market for 2027, 29 plans are not returning, 18 are new, and 17 are renamed.

How often can a dual-eligible person change plans?

If you have Medicare and Medicaid — or you qualify for Extra Help with Part D drug costs — you generally have more chances to change plans than people who only have Medicare. In addition to the Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026 Annual Enrollment Period and the Jan. 1 – March 31 Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, dual-eligible members typically get a monthly Special Enrollment Period to:

• Join an integrated D-SNP that works with their Medicaid plan, or
• Return to Original Medicare and add a stand-alone Part D plan.

The exact rules have changed in recent years and continue to be refined by CMS. Before you make a move, call 1-800-MEDICARE to confirm which Special Enrollment Period applies to your situation this month. A change you make during the fall window takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. If you do nothing, your current plan renews if it is being offered next year, with the changes listed in its Annual Notice of Change.

How do I confirm my eligibility and compare D-SNPs?

Start by confirming three things: that you have Medicare Parts A and B, that your Florida Medicaid is active, and what Medicaid category you are in (full dual, QMB, SLMB, or QI). Your Medicare card, your Florida Medicaid letter, and a call to the Florida Medicaid helpline will cover those three.

Once you know your category, you can compare D-SNPs on the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE. The Plan Finder shows every plan's premium, drug list, provider network, and star rating — details we cannot list here, and that vary by plan. The plan's own Evidence of Coverage and provider directory are the final word on benefits.

What's changing for Part D in 2027, and does it apply to D-SNPs?

D-SNPs all include Part D drug coverage, so the 2027 Part D updates apply. CMS has confirmed that the Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026) and the Part D maximum deductible rises to $700 (up from $615). The Part D national base beneficiary premium for 2027 is $41.33 — that's a formula input, not what any specific plan charges.

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, had not been published as of this writing; CMS typically announces them later in the fall.

Most people with full Medicaid or Extra Help pay little or nothing for their Part D drugs, but the figures above still matter — for example, if your Medicaid or Extra Help status changes mid-year.