Medicare Advantage

Before You Pick a D-SNP in Chicago: Check Medicaid

For 2027, Chicago is looking at 67 Medicare Advantage plans: 6 new, 17 gone since 2026, and 30 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 9 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Cook County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

CHICAGO — If you have both Medicare and Medicaid and live in Chicago, you have a specific kind of plan built for your situation: a Dual Special Needs Plan, or D-SNP. For 2027, four D-SNPs will be offered in Cook County, from four different carriers, including one that is new to the local lineup.

Open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs from October 15 through December 7, 2026, and any change you make takes effect January 1, 2027. But here is the part many dual-eligible readers do not realize: you are not locked into that fall window the way most people are. You get extra chances to change plans throughout the year.

What a D-SNP is, in plain terms

A Dual Special Needs Plan is a type of Medicare Advantage plan designed only for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. The plan coordinates your Medicare benefits with help from Medicaid, and every D-SNP includes prescription drug coverage.

Because these plans are limited to dual-eligible members, you have to qualify for both programs to join one. If you lose Medicaid, you can lose eligibility for the D-SNP (there is usually a grace period while things are sorted out).

The 2027 D-SNPs offered in Cook County

Chicago is in Cook County, where Medicare plan availability is set. For 2027, CMS lists four D-SNPs in the county, alongside 12 Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs) and 3 Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs). The four D-SNPs, in alphabetical order by carrier, are:

• Aetna Medicare FIDE (HMO D-SNP) — Aetna (CVS Health)
• Wellcare Meridian Dual Align (HMO D-SNP) — Centene (WellCare)
• Humana Dual Fully Integrated (HMO D-SNP) — Humana
• Molina Medicare Complete Care Plus (HMO D-SNP) — Molina Healthcare of Illinois (new for 2027)

The table on this page lists every Medicare Advantage plan available in Cook County, including these four. For costs, provider networks, drug lists and benefits, use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov or call the plan directly — those details change year to year and vary by person.

Who qualifies: full vs. partial dual eligibility

"Dual eligible" is an umbrella term. It covers two broad groups:

• Full dual eligibles. You have Medicare and full Illinois Medicaid benefits. Medicaid helps with Medicare premiums and cost sharing, and also covers services Medicare does not, like long-term services and supports.
• Partial dual eligibles. You have Medicare and qualify for one of the Medicare Savings Programs (QMB, SLMB, or QI), which help with Part A and Part B premiums and sometimes cost sharing, but you do not get full Medicaid benefits.

Different D-SNPs are built for different levels of dual eligibility. Some are "fully integrated" plans designed for people with full Medicaid; others accept members with partial benefits. The plan's enrollment materials will say which groups it accepts. The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services is the agency that determines and confirms your Medicaid level.

How often a dual-eligible person can change plans

Most people with Medicare can only change their Medicare Advantage or Part D plan during the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7) or the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (January 1 – March 31).

If you have Medicaid or Extra Help (the low-income subsidy for Part D), you also get a Special Enrollment Period that gives you a monthly opportunity to:

• Join, switch, or drop an integrated D-SNP, or
• Return to Original Medicare and pick up a stand-alone Part D drug plan.

The exact rules on how often you can use this SEP have shifted in recent years, so before you make a move, confirm the current rules by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048) or by signing in at medicare.gov. A change made under this SEP generally takes effect the first of the following month.

How to confirm your eligibility

Three straightforward steps:

1. Confirm Medicaid. Call Illinois Medicaid (the Department of Healthcare and Family Services) or sign in to your account at abe.illinois.gov to confirm you are enrolled and at what level (full Medicaid, QMB, SLMB, or QI). 2. Confirm Medicare. Have your Medicare card handy or sign in at medicare.gov to confirm Parts A and B. 3. Check plan options. Use the Plan Finder at medicare.gov to filter for Special Needs Plans in ZIP codes within Cook County, or call 1-800-MEDICARE for help over the phone.

What else is changing for 2027

A few program-wide figures are already set for 2027: the Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 (up from $2,100 in 2026), and the Part D maximum deductible rises to $700 (up from $615 in 2026). For most D-SNP members with full Medicaid, drug costs are also helped by Extra Help, which caps copays at low amounts. CMS will publish the 2027 Part B premium, deductible and IRMAA income brackets later in the fall.

Across Cook County, CMS lists some plans not returning for 2027, a handful of new plans, and several renamed plans. If you are already in a D-SNP, read the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) your plan mailed you — it spells out exactly what is changing in your plan for next year. If you do nothing and your plan is still offered, you will stay in it with those changes applied.