Medicare Advantage

Medicare and Medicaid in Montana: 4 Dual Special Needs Plans for 2027

HELENA, Mont. — For Montanans who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid, the 2027 plan year brings a specific, countable set of choices. According to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source File for CY2027, there are 4 Dual Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) available somewhere in Montana next year, out of 23 Medicare Advantage plans offered statewide. No Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs) and no Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs) are listed for Montana in 2027.

Those 4 D-SNPs come from two carriers: Humana, with three plans, and UnitedHealthcare, with one. Because Medicare Advantage plans are sold county by county, a plan listed statewide may or may not be available where you actually live. The lists on this page, drawn directly from the CMS file, show which counties each plan is offered in.

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

A Dual Special Needs Plan is a type of Medicare Advantage plan built only for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. To enroll in one in Montana, you must have Medicare Parts A and B and also qualify for Medicaid help through the state, and the Montana Medicaid agency has to confirm your eligibility category before a D-SNP can enroll you.

Dual eligibility comes in two broad forms. "Full" dual eligibles get the complete Medicaid benefit package in addition to Medicare. "Partial" dual eligibles qualify through one of the Medicare Savings Programs — for example, the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) category — where Medicaid helps with Medicare premiums and, in some categories, cost sharing, but does not provide full Medicaid benefits. Different D-SNPs are designed for different eligibility categories, which is why one of the Montana plans for 2027, Humana Dual QMB Only (PPO D-SNP), names its category right in the plan name. The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services determines which category you fall into.

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

Montana has 4 D-SNPs for 2027, offered by two carriers: Humana (3 plans) and UnitedHealthcare (1 plan). That is out of 23 total Medicare Advantage plans listed statewide in the CMS CY2027 Landscape file, with no C-SNPs and no I-SNPs on the Montana list.

The Humana D-SNPs for 2027 are Humana Dual QMB Only (PPO D-SNP) — which the CMS file notes was renamed from HumanaChoice SNP-DE H7617-037 (PPO D-SNP) — along with Humana Gold Plus SNP-DE H6622-008 (HMO D-SNP) and HumanaChoice SNP-DE H7617-036 (PPO D-SNP). UnitedHealthcare offers UHC Dual Complete MT-S001 (PPO D-SNP). All four include drug coverage. County footprints vary: the Humana PPO D-SNPs are each listed in 38 Montana counties, the Humana HMO D-SNP in 37, and the UnitedHealthcare PPO D-SNP in 8. The full plan-by-plan and county-by-county details appear in the tables on this page; this article does not compare their premiums, benefits, networks or ratings.

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

People who have both Medicare and Medicaid in Montana generally have more chances to change plans than other Medicare beneficiaries. In addition to the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7, 2026, for coverage starting January 1, 2027) and the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (January 1 – March 31, 2027), most dual-eligible enrollees have a Special Enrollment Period that lets them make one change per quarter during the first three quarters of the year — January–March, April–June, and July–September.

That means a Montanan on Medicare and Medicaid is rarely locked in for a full year. If a D-SNP is not working out, or if your Medicaid status changes, there is almost always a window to switch, drop back to Original Medicare with a stand-alone Part D plan, or move to a different D-SNP. The exact rules depend on your dual-eligibility category, which the state confirms.

How do I check whether a 2027 D-SNP is offered in my Montana county?

The most reliable way to check availability in your Montana county for 2027 is to use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov and enter your ZIP code, or to call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The CMS Landscape file lists plans at the county level, and the Plan Finder reflects the same underlying data.

For example, the UnitedHealthcare D-SNP in Montana for 2027 is listed in 8 counties, so a reader in a county outside that footprint would not see it as an option even though it appears on a statewide list. The Humana D-SNPs each cover a larger share of the state but still not every county. The tables on this page show the specific counties for each of the 4 plans. Before enrolling, confirm the plan's details in its own Evidence of Coverage, Summary of Benefits and provider and pharmacy directories.

Where can Montanans get free help with Medicare and Medicaid questions for 2027?

Free, unbiased help for Montanans is available directly from Medicare year-round. You can call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048) any time, or use the Plan Finder, enrollment tools and plan documents at medicare.gov at no cost. For Medicaid eligibility questions — including whether you qualify as a full dual eligible or through a Medicare Savings Program like QMB — contact the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, which administers Medicaid in the state.

If you are not yet enrolled in Medicare, the Social Security Administration handles Medicare enrollment and can explain how your Part A and Part B start dates line up with any D-SNP you later consider.