Medicare Advantage

Living with a chronic condition in Tampa? 28 C-SNPs are set for 2027

Hillsborough County has 124 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 29 plans are not coming back, 20 are new, and 51 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 19 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Tampa, not which plan to pick.

TAMPA, Fla. — Fall 2026 is when Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period opens, and for people managing a long-term illness like diabetes, heart disease, COPD or kidney failure, it is a good moment to look at a less familiar corner of Medicare Advantage: the Chronic Condition Special Needs Plan, or C-SNP. In Hillsborough County, the county Tampa sits in, CMS lists 28 C-SNPs for the 2027 plan year, offered by 10 carriers. Any change you make between October 15 and December 7, 2026 starts January 1, 2027.

What a C-SNP actually is

A Chronic Condition Special Needs Plan is a type of Medicare Advantage plan built around one group of health problems. Instead of serving everyone on Medicare, a C-SNP only enrolls people who have a specific qualifying chronic condition — for example, diabetes, chronic heart failure, chronic lung disorders like COPD, or end-stage renal disease.

Because the membership is narrower, the plan can shape its provider network, drug list, and care coordination around that condition. Every C-SNP in Hillsborough County includes Part D prescription drug coverage, so you do not buy a separate drug plan.

What a C-SNP does not do is change the basic rules of Medicare Advantage. You still have an HMO or HMO-POS network, still need referrals when the plan requires them, and still have the same appeal rights.

How enrollment and the diagnosis check work

Joining a C-SNP is not like joining a regular Medicare Advantage plan. You can apply, but the plan has to verify that you actually have the qualifying condition before your enrollment is confirmed. In practice, that means the plan contacts your doctor (or asks you to have your doctor send a form) to confirm the diagnosis.

If the provider confirms it, your coverage starts on the effective date. If the condition cannot be verified, the plan has to let you know and will not enroll you.

This is also why C-SNPs come with a Special Enrollment Period. People who qualify for a C-SNP can generally enroll outside the standard October 15 – December 7 window — you do not have to wait for AEP to join one once you have the diagnosis. If your condition no longer qualifies, there are rules that give you time to switch to another plan.

The 28 C-SNPs offered in Hillsborough County for 2027

The table below lists every C-SNP available in the county for the 2027 plan year, by carrier. Listing a plan here is not a recommendation — it is simply what CMS shows as available. Names below are in alphabetical order by carrier.

• Aetna (CVS Health) — 1 plan: Aetna Medicare Chronic Care (HMO C-SNP)
• Devoted Health — 2 plans: DEVOTED C-SNP ENHANCED 069 FL (HMO C-SNP) (renamed from DEVOTED C-SNP PREMIUM 069 FL); DEVOTED C-SNP PLUS 089 FL (HMO C-SNP)
• Doctors HealthCare Plans, Inc. — 1 plan: DrExtraCare-CFL (HMO C-SNP), new for 2027
• Elevance Health (Anthem) — 6 plans: Freedom VIP Care (HMO C-SNP); Freedom VIP Savings (HMO C-SNP); Freedom VIP Savings COPD (HMO C-SNP); Optimum Diamond (HMO C-SNP); Optimum Diamond Rewards (HMO C-SNP); Optimum Diamond Rewards COPD (HMO C-SNP)
• Gold Kidney Health Plan — 6 plans: Gold Dialysis & Kidney (HMO-POS C-SNP); Gold Dialysis & Kidney Complete (HMO-POS C-SNP); Gold Dialysis Premier (HMO-POS C-SNP), new for 2027; Gold Heart & Diabetes (HMO-POS C-SNP); Gold Heart & Diabetes Complete (HMO-POS C-SNP); Gold Heart & Diabetes Plus (HMO-POS C-SNP), new for 2027
• Humana — 6 plans: CareBreeze (HMO C-SNP); CareBreeze Platinum (HMO C-SNP); CareComplete (HMO C-SNP); CareComplete Platinum (HMO C-SNP); Humana Gold Plus - Diabetes and Heart (HMO C-SNP); Humana Gold Plus Lung (HMO C-SNP)
• SECUR Health Plan — 1 plan: SECUR CarePath (HMO C-SNP), new for 2027
• Solis Health Plans — 2 plans: Solis Wellness Giveback Plan (HMO C-SNP); Solis Wellness Plan (HMO C-SNP), new for 2027
• Ultimate Health Plans — 2 plans: Advantage Care by Ultimate (HMO C-SNP); Advantage Care COPD by Ultimate (HMO C-SNP), new for 2027
• UnitedHealthcare — 1 plan: UHC Complete Care FL-14 (HMO-POS C-SNP)

A few plan names tell you plainly which condition they serve — the ones that say "COPD," "Lung," "Dialysis & Kidney," or "Diabetes and Heart." For the others, the name alone does not say, and you will need to check the plan's materials to see which condition it targets.

How to decide if a C-SNP makes sense for you

Here is a practical way to think it through:

1. Start with your diagnosis. The whole point of a C-SNP is a condition-focused network and formulary. If you do not have a qualifying chronic condition, this is not the plan type for you — a regular Medicare Advantage or Original Medicare + Part D setup is the right conversation. 2. Check that your doctors and your drugs are covered. C-SNPs are usually HMOs, so staying in-network matters. Pull up each plan's provider directory and formulary at medicare.gov before you commit. 3. Compare it to what you have now. If you already have a Medicare Advantage plan, read the Annual Notice of Change your plan sent for 2027. It spells out what is changing in cost, drugs and network. Then compare side-by-side with any C-SNP you are considering. 4. Factor in Part D changes for 2027. The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026), and the maximum Part D deductible rises to $700 (up from $615). These are program-wide ceilings; your actual plan may be lower. 5. Use the Special Enrollment Period if you need to. If you were recently diagnosed with a qualifying condition, you likely do not have to wait for the next AEP to switch into a C-SNP.

What else is shifting in Hillsborough County for 2027

Across all Medicare Advantage, CMS data for the county shows 29 plans not returning, 20 new plans, and 19 renamed plans for 2027. If your current plan is among those not returning, your carrier is required to notify you. If it is renamed or restructured, your ANOC will say so. Reading that notice is the single most useful step most people can take this fall.

CMS has not yet published the 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, or the 2027 IRMAA income brackets — those usually come out in November. We will update our coverage when they do.