Medicare Advantage

St. Petersburg Medicare Advantage for 2027: a closer look at Chronic Condition SNPs

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. As Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period opens on Oct. 15, people in St. Petersburg who live with a long-term health condition have a specific kind of Medicare Advantage plan to consider: a Chronic Condition Special Needs Plan, or C-SNP. These plans are built around one qualifying diagnosis — such as diabetes, heart disease, chronic lung conditions, or end-stage renal disease — and for the 2027 plan year, 27 of them will be offered in Pinellas County, the county St. Petersburg sits in.

C-SNPs are not for everyone. They are a focused tool for people whose provider can confirm they have one of the chronic conditions the plan serves. This article walks through what is available locally, how a C-SNP works, and the enrollment rules that are different from a standard Medicare Advantage plan.

What is a C-SNP, and how does it work in St. Petersburg for 2027?

A Chronic Condition Special Needs Plan is a type of Medicare Advantage plan that only enrolls people living with a specific severe or disabling chronic condition. CMS defines the list of qualifying conditions, which includes things like diabetes, chronic heart failure, cardiovascular disorders, chronic lung disorders, and end-stage renal disease.

Because every member has the same condition (or set of related conditions), the plan can shape its provider network, drug formulary, and care coordination around that diagnosis. A C-SNP always includes Medicare prescription drug coverage — Part D is built in. Like other Medicare Advantage plans, a C-SNP replaces Original Medicare for the time you are enrolled, and you use the plan's card for care.

The key difference from a regular Medicare Advantage plan: eligibility is medical. You cannot simply sign up. A provider has to verify, in writing, that you have the qualifying condition the plan serves. If that verification does not come through within the window the plan allows, your enrollment will not stand.

How many C-SNPs are offered in Pinellas County for 2027, and from which carriers?

For the 2027 plan year, Pinellas County will have 27 Chronic Condition Special Needs Plans out of 118 Medicare Advantage plans available in the county. For context, the county will also have 32 Dual Eligible SNPs (D-SNPs, for people with both Medicare and Medicaid) and 9 Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs, for people in nursing facilities or who need that level of care).

Nine carriers will offer C-SNPs in Pinellas County in 2027:

• Aetna (CVS Health) — 1 plan
• Devoted Health — 2 plans
• Elevance Health (Anthem) — 6 plans
• Gold Kidney Health Plan — 6 plans
• Humana — 6 plans
• SECUR Health Plan — 1 plan
• Solis Health Plans — 2 plans
• Ultimate Health Plans — 2 plans
• UnitedHealthcare — 1 plan

Several C-SNPs are new to the Pinellas lineup for 2027, including Gold Dialysis Premier (HMO-POS C-SNP) and Gold Heart & Diabetes Plus (HMO-POS C-SNP) from Gold Kidney Health Plan, SECUR CarePath (HMO C-SNP) from SECUR Health Plan, Solis Wellness Plan (HMO C-SNP) from Solis Health Plans, and Advantage Care COPD by Ultimate (HMO C-SNP) from Ultimate Health Plans. Devoted Health's C-SNP previously called DEVOTED C-SNP PREMIUM 069 FL has been renamed DEVOTED C-SNP ENHANCED 069 FL for 2027. The table on this page lists every C-SNP by carrier.

Which chronic conditions do these plans serve?

A C-SNP will tell you in its name or its official plan materials which condition it is designed for. Some names in the Pinellas lineup are specific — for example, Humana's Humana Gold Plus Lung (HMO C-SNP), Elevance Health's Freedom VIP Savings COPD (HMO C-SNP) and Optimum Diamond Rewards COPD (HMO C-SNP), Humana's Humana Gold Plus - Diabetes and Heart (HMO C-SNP), Gold Kidney Health Plan's Gold Dialysis & Kidney (HMO-POS C-SNP) and Gold Heart & Diabetes (HMO-POS C-SNP), and Ultimate Health Plans' Advantage Care COPD by Ultimate (HMO C-SNP).

Other C-SNPs on the list use more general names (such as Aetna Medicare Chronic Care, CareBreeze, CareComplete, Optimum Diamond, Simply Level, or Solis Wellness Plan). In those cases, the plan's Summary of Benefits or Evidence of Coverage will spell out which qualifying condition or conditions it serves. Do not assume — always check the plan document or call the carrier before you apply.

How does enrollment work if you have a qualifying chronic condition?

The Annual Enrollment Period runs Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, 2026, and any Medicare Advantage change you make in that window takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. That window is open to everyone with Medicare.

If you have a qualifying chronic condition, though, you also have a Special Enrollment Period that lets you join a C-SNP outside the usual windows. In practice, that means you can enroll in a C-SNP once you are newly diagnosed with a qualifying condition, and generally at other points as long as you still have that condition. You cannot use this SEP again and again — it is tied to the C-SNP decision, not to switching back and forth.

Two things to keep in mind:

1. The plan must verify your diagnosis with your provider. If the plan cannot get that confirmation within the required time frame, your enrollment ends and you go back to the coverage you had. 2. If your qualifying condition changes or resolves, special rules apply to how long you can stay in the plan. The plan will explain this in writing.

For personalized help with eligibility and enrollment, use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

What if you already have a Medicare plan and do nothing?

Nothing dramatic happens. If your current plan is offered again in 2027, it renews automatically on Jan. 1, 2027, with any changes described in the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) your plan mailed you in September. Across Pinellas County's Medicare Advantage market as a whole, 29 plans are not returning for 2027, 18 are new, and 17 have been renamed — so it is worth opening the ANOC even if you plan to stay put.

A few 2027 program-level figures are already confirmed by CMS: the Part D out-of-pocket cap will rise to $2,400 (up from $2,100 in 2026), the Part D maximum deductible will be $700 (up from $615 in 2026), and the Part D national base beneficiary premium — a formula input, not what any plan charges — is $41.33. The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, had not been announced as of September 2026; CMS typically publishes those in the fall.