Medicare Advantage

Medicare and Medicaid in Missouri: 34 Dual Special Needs Plans for 2027

JEFFERSON CITY — Missourians who have both Medicare and MO HealthNet will see 34 Dual Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) offered somewhere in the state for 2027, out of 174 Medicare Advantage plans total, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files for the coming plan year. The count is statewide; what shows up in any one county depends on where you live.

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

A Dual Special Needs Plan is a type of Medicare Advantage plan built for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid, and in Missouri that Medicaid program is called MO HealthNet. To enroll in a D-SNP for 2027, your dual-eligible status has to be confirmed by MO HealthNet.

Both full and partial dual-eligible categories can qualify, depending on the specific plan. "Full" duals generally get the broadest Medicaid help with Medicare cost-sharing and additional Medicaid-covered services; "partial" duals qualify for one of the Medicare Savings Programs that help with Part A or Part B costs. The state Medicaid agency, not the insurance carrier, is the one that verifies which category you fall into, and that determination controls which D-SNPs you're actually eligible to join.

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

For 2027, 34 of Missouri's 174 Medicare Advantage plans are D-SNPs. The state also has 18 Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs) and 9 Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs) in the Special Needs Plan family.

Seven carriers offer D-SNPs in Missouri for 2027: Aetna (CVS Health) with 12 plans, Centene (WellCare) with 3, Devoted Health with 3, Elevance Health (Anthem) with 2, HealthSpring with 2, Humana with 4, and UnitedHealthcare with 8. Among those 34 plans, several are new for 2027 — including the Aetna Medicare Full Dual Extra and Full Dual Extra Care variants, the UHC Dual Advantage MO-V1 plans, and the UHC Dual Complete MO-S3 plans. A few others were renamed, such as the Wellcare Home State Health Dual Access, Dual Access Open, and Dual Reserve plans (previously branded without the "Home State Health" tag), and the UHC Dual Complete MO-Q1 and MO-Q2 plans (previously MO-S001 and MO-S002). The full plan-by-plan table appears elsewhere on this page.

Being on the list doesn't mean the plan reaches every county. Each D-SNP has its own service area — some are offered in a handful of counties, others in dozens, and the UHC Dual Complete MO-Q1 and MO-Q2 plans show the widest statewide footprint at 115 counties each. County availability is what determines what you can actually enroll in.

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

Dual-eligible Missourians get more flexibility than other Medicare beneficiaries. Everyone shares the Annual Enrollment Period from October 15 to December 7, 2026, for coverage that starts January 1, 2027, and the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31, 2027, for people already in a Medicare Advantage plan.

On top of those windows, people with both Medicare and Medicaid also have a Special Enrollment Period designed for dual eligibles. In 2027, that SEP generally allows one change per calendar quarter during the first three quarters of the year to join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan; the fourth quarter is covered by the Annual Enrollment Period. There are also SEPs tied to specific life events, like moving or losing Medicaid eligibility. These rules come from CMS's Medicare enrollment periods guidance on medicare.gov.

How do I check which D-SNPs are offered in my Missouri county for 2027?

The way to confirm what's available where you live is the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov, which lets you enter your ZIP code and see every Medicare Advantage, Part D, and D-SNP plan offered in your county for 2027. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Because a plan listed statewide may or may not be offered in your specific county, the ZIP-code search matters. For example, the two HealthSpring TotalCare plans are offered in 7 Missouri counties each, while Devoted Health's three D-SNPs reach 81 counties. The plan's own Evidence of Coverage and provider and pharmacy directories are the authoritative sources for what each plan covers, which doctors and hospitals are in network, and which drugs are on the formulary — details this article intentionally doesn't quote.

Where can Missourians get free help understanding D-SNPs for 2027?

Free, unbiased help is available directly from Medicare. You can go to medicare.gov any time to use the Plan Finder, read plan documents, and compare options side by side, or call 1-800-MEDICARE around the clock to talk with a representative.

For Medicaid-side questions — whether your dual eligibility is current, whether you're a full or partial dual, and how MO HealthNet coordinates with your Medicare plan — the state Medicaid agency is the authority. Your eligibility status with MO HealthNet is what unlocks D-SNP enrollment in the first place, so it's worth confirming before AEP closes on December 7, 2026.