Medicare Advantage

Do You Have Medicare and Medical Assistance in Hennepin?

People in Minneapolis can choose from 25 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 32 this year. 13 of this year’s plans are gone, 6 are new to Hennepin County, and 9 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 3 of them under a new name.

MINNEAPOLIS — If you have both Medicare and Medicaid and live in Hennepin County, the plans built specifically for you are called Dual Special Needs Plans, or D-SNPs. For 2027, three of them will be offered in the county where Minneapolis sits. The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and any change you make takes effect January 1, 2027 — but people with Medicaid or Extra Help also have extra chances to change plans during the year that most other Medicare members do not.

The three D-SNPs offered in Hennepin County for 2027

A D-SNP is a type of Medicare Advantage plan designed only for people who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. For plan year 2027, three D-SNPs are offered in Hennepin County, listed here alphabetically by carrier:

• SecureBlue (HMO D-SNP) — Blue Plus
• HealthPartners Minnesota Senior Health Options (HMO D-SNP) — HealthPartners
• Medica DUAL Solution (HMO D-SNP) — Medica

The table on this page lists each one with its plan type. For specifics like premium, copays, drug list, network or extra benefits, use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov, call 1-800-MEDICARE, or read the plan's own Evidence of Coverage.

Hennepin County also has four Chronic Condition Special Needs Plans (C-SNPs) for people with qualifying conditions, and no Institutional SNPs. The county's wider lineup for 2027 includes Medicare Advantage plans from six carriers; the full roster appears in the table below.

Who qualifies: full vs. partial dual eligibility

Being "dual-eligible" means you qualify for Medicare and get help from Medicaid. In Minnesota, that help comes in different levels:

• Full dual eligibility means you get full Medicaid benefits in addition to Medicare. Medicaid may help cover services Medicare does not, and it generally pays your Medicare premiums and cost-sharing.
• Partial dual eligibility means you qualify for one of the Medicare Savings Programs (such as QMB, SLMB or QI), which help with Medicare premiums and, in some cases, cost-sharing — but you do not get full Medicaid benefits.

Each D-SNP sets which dual categories it accepts. Some are built for people with full Medicaid; some accept partial duals too. The Minnesota Department of Human Services is the agency that determines and confirms your Medicaid level. If you are not sure where you stand, that is the place to start.

How often a dual-eligible person can change plans

Most people with Medicare can only change plans during the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7) or the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (January 1 – March 31). People with Medicaid or Extra Help have more flexibility.

Under current rules, dual-eligible members generally get a monthly Special Enrollment Period to either join an integrated D-SNP that works with their Medicaid coverage, or drop a Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare with a stand-alone Part D plan. These rules have been changing in recent years, so confirm what applies to you right now by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048) or checking medicare.gov.

Doing nothing is also an option. If your current plan is offered again in 2027, it renews automatically. Read the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) your plan mails in the fall — it spells out what is changing for January 1.

How to confirm your eligibility

Three straightforward steps:

1. Confirm your Medicare status at medicare.gov or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE. You will need Part A and Part B to join a D-SNP. 2. Confirm your Medicaid level with the Minnesota Department of Human Services or your county human services office. They can tell you whether you have full Medicaid, a Medicare Savings Program, or both. 3. Match your category to the plan. Each D-SNP's Summary of Benefits lists which dual categories it accepts. The Medicare Plan Finder lets you filter for Special Needs Plans in your ZIP code.

If any part of this feels murky, 1-800-MEDICARE can walk you through it over the phone at no cost.

What is new for 2027 at the program level

A few program figures are already set for 2027 and apply to everyone with Medicare drug coverage, including D-SNP members:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027 (it is $2,100 in 2026).
• The maximum Part D deductible rises to $700 in 2027 (it is $615 in 2026).
• The Part D national base beneficiary premium for 2027 is $41.33 — this is a formula input, not the premium any specific plan charges.

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, along with the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, had not been announced as of fall 2026. CMS typically publishes those figures later in the fall.

For Hennepin County's broader 2027 lineup, some plans are not returning, a few are new, and a few have been renamed. Your plan's ANOC is the document that tells you exactly what is changing in your coverage.