Medicare Advantage

Medicare and Medicaid in Minnesota: 8 Dual Special Needs Plans for 2027

ST. PAUL — For Minnesotans who qualify for both Medicare and Medical Assistance (the state's Medicaid program), 2027 brings a familiar lineup of specialized coverage. According to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files for 2027, eight of the 66 Medicare Advantage plans available somewhere in Minnesota are Dual Special Needs Plans — D-SNPs — built specifically for people who have both forms of coverage. Six carriers are offering those eight plans statewide, with availability that differs sharply from one county to the next.

The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and any choice made during that window takes effect January 1, 2027. Dual-eligible Minnesotans also have additional opportunities to change plans during the year, explained below.

What is a D-SNP in Minnesota and who qualifies for one in 2027?

A D-SNP in Minnesota is a type of Medicare Advantage plan that enrolls only people who have both Medicare and Medical Assistance, and in 2027 you must have that dual status — confirmed by the Minnesota Department of Human Services, the state's Medicaid agency — to join one. Eligibility can be "full" (Medicaid covers the full set of benefits for which you qualify) or "partial" (Medicaid helps with Medicare premiums or cost sharing through a Medicare Savings Program). Either category can open the door to a D-SNP, but the specific plan a person can join depends on which category the state verifies.

D-SNPs are designed to coordinate Medicare and Medicaid benefits in one place, and all eight Minnesota D-SNPs listed for 2027 include prescription drug coverage. They sit alongside other Special Needs Plans tracked in the CMS file for Minnesota in 2027: 5 Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs) and 0 Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs).

How many D-SNPs are offered in Minnesota for 2027, and which carriers offer them?

Minnesota has 8 D-SNPs for 2027, offered by six carriers: Blue Plus, HealthPartners, Itasca Medical Care/IMCare Classic, Medica, PrimeWest Health, and South Country Health Alliance. Those eight plans account for a portion of the 66 Medicare Advantage plans available somewhere in the state.

The plan names, in alphabetical order by carrier, are:

• SecureBlue (HMO D-SNP) from Blue Plus
• HealthPartners Minnesota Senior Health Options (HMO D-SNP) from HealthPartners
• IMCare Classic (HMO D-SNP) from Itasca Medical Care/IMCare Classic
• Medica DUAL Solution (HMO D-SNP) from Medica
• Prime Health Complete (HMO D-SNP) from PrimeWest Health
• PrimeWest Senior Health Complete (HMO D-SNP) from PrimeWest Health
• AbilityCare (HMO D-SNP) from South Country Health Alliance
• SeniorCare Complete (HMO D-SNP) from South Country Health Alliance

County availability varies widely. The CMS file shows some plans serving dozens of Minnesota counties and others serving a handful or a single county, so the fact that a plan appears on this statewide list does not guarantee it is sold where you live. The full county-by-county breakdown is rendered as a table elsewhere on this page.

How often can a dual-eligible person in Minnesota change plans in 2027?

Dual-eligible Minnesotans generally have more chances to change Medicare coverage during 2027 than people with Medicare alone. During the Annual Enrollment Period of October 15 – December 7, 2026, anyone with Medicare can switch, add, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan for a January 1, 2027 effective date.

On top of that, people with both Medicare and Medicaid typically qualify for a Special Enrollment Period that allows one plan change per quarter during the first three quarters of the year (January – March, April – June, July – September), with a separate opportunity in the fourth quarter through the Annual Enrollment Period. There is also a Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31, 2027, during which someone already in a Medicare Advantage plan can make one change. If your dual-eligible status changes during the year, that itself can trigger a Special Enrollment Period. The exact rules are posted at Medicare.gov under Medicare enrollment periods.

How do I check which D-SNPs are available in my Minnesota county for 2027?

To see which of the 8 Minnesota D-SNPs are offered in your specific county for 2027, use the Medicare Plan Finder at Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Entering your ZIP code returns only the plans sold where you live, which is important because a plan listed as "offered in 1 county" and one listed as "offered in 55 counties" look identical on a statewide roster but behave very differently at the local level.

For example, SecureBlue is listed in 55 counties and Medica DUAL Solution in 54, while IMCare Classic is listed in 1. HealthPartners Minnesota Senior Health Options appears in 12 counties, the two PrimeWest Health plans in 24 each, and the two South Country Health Alliance plans in 7 each. The table on this page shows the county counts straight from the CMS 2027 file.

Before enrolling, confirm the specifics of any plan — costs, covered drugs, provider networks, extra benefits — in the plan's own Evidence of Coverage, its pharmacy and provider directories, or on the Medicare Plan Finder. This article does not include any of those details.

Where can Minnesotans get free help comparing D-SNPs for 2027?

Free, unbiased help is available two ways: Medicare.gov, which hosts the Plan Finder and the official enrollment-period rules, and 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), which is staffed around the clock. Both are run by the federal Medicare program and do not sell insurance.

Because D-SNP eligibility depends on Medical Assistance status, Minnesotans with questions about their Medicaid category — full dual or partial dual — should also contact the Minnesota Department of Human Services, which is the agency that confirms that status to Medicare plans.