Medicare Advantage

Newark C-SNPs for 2027: the chronic condition plans sold in Essex County

Essex County has 48 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 10 plans are not coming back, 10 are new, and 12 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 2 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Newark, not which plan to pick.

NEWARK, N.J. — When the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period opens Oct. 15, 2026, people in Newark living with certain chronic conditions will see a wider menu of Chronic Condition Special Needs Plans (C-SNPs) than they had this year. For plan year 2027, seven C-SNPs will be offered in Essex County, the county Newark sits in, from five carriers — four of them new to the local market for 2027.

C-SNPs are a narrower slice of Medicare Advantage built around a qualifying diagnosis. They are not for everyone, and enrollment is not automatic. Here is what Newark readers should know before the Dec. 7, 2026 deadline.

What is a C-SNP and how does it work in Newark for 2027?

A C-SNP is a Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plan limited to people with a specific severe or disabling chronic condition — for example, diabetes, chronic heart failure or end-stage renal disease. The plan's benefits, drug list and care management are shaped around that condition. Like other Medicare Advantage plans, a C-SNP bundles Part A, Part B and, in most cases, Part D drug coverage.

Because the plan is condition-specific, you cannot simply pick one off the shelf. Medicare requires that you actually have the chronic condition the plan is designed for, and the plan must get that diagnosis verified by your provider before your coverage can start.

Which carriers offer C-SNPs in Essex County for 2027?

Five carriers will offer C-SNPs in Essex County for 2027: Devoted Health (3 plans), Elevance Health (Anthem) (1), Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (1), Humana (1) and UnitedHealthcare (1). That is 7 of the 48 Medicare Advantage plans in the county. The county's other Special Needs Plans are not C-SNPs: 5 are Dual Eligible SNPs (D-SNPs) for people with both Medicare and Medicaid, and 3 are Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs).

In alphabetical order by carrier, the C-SNPs available in Essex County for 2027 are:

• Devoted Health — DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE ENHANCED 004 NJ (PPO C-SNP), new for 2027
• Devoted Health — DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE GIVEBACK EXTRAS 005 NJ (PPO C-SNP), new for 2027
• Devoted Health — DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE PLUS 003 NJ (PPO C-SNP), new for 2027
• Elevance Health (Anthem) — Wellpoint Kidney Care (HMO-POS C-SNP)
• Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey — Horizon Specialty Care (HMO C-SNP), new for 2027
• Humana — Humana Gold Plus - Diabetes and Heart (HMO C-SNP)
• UnitedHealthcare — UHC Complete Care NJ-8 (HMO-POS C-SNP), new for 2027

All seven include drug coverage. The table below lists every C-SNP available in Essex County for 2027 with its plan type. Only two of these plans state the condition they serve in their name — Wellpoint Kidney Care and Humana Gold Plus - Diabetes and Heart. For the others, the specific qualifying condition is defined in the plan documents, not the plan name.

Who qualifies for a C-SNP in Newark, and how is a diagnosis confirmed?

To enroll in a C-SNP, you have to have the chronic condition the plan is built around. CMS maintains the list of qualifying conditions, which includes diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, chronic heart failure, chronic lung disorders like COPD, end-stage renal disease, dementia, HIV/AIDS and several others.

The plan is required to confirm the diagnosis with your provider. In practice, that usually means the plan sends a short form your doctor signs, or it contacts your provider directly after you apply. If the diagnosis cannot be confirmed within the window CMS allows, the enrollment does not stick. That is why having a current treating provider — and letting them know you are applying — makes the process go smoothly.

When can someone with a qualifying condition enroll?

Anyone can use the Annual Enrollment Period, which runs Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026, with coverage starting Jan. 1, 2027. But people with a qualifying chronic condition also have a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) tied to the condition. In most cases, that SEP lets you join a C-SNP once, outside the usual windows, when you are first diagnosed or first become eligible for that plan.

Once you are enrolled in a C-SNP, if your condition changes or the plan determines you no longer qualify, there are separate rules for moving to another Medicare Advantage plan or back to Original Medicare. Medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE can walk through the specifics for your situation.

What else is changing in Newark's Medicare Advantage lineup for 2027?

Essex County will have 48 Medicare Advantage plans from 10 carriers for 2027. Compared with 2026, 10 plans are not returning, 10 are new, and 2 are renamed. If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) — mailed in September — lays out what is different for your plan in 2027. If you do nothing and your plan is still offered, it renews automatically with those changes.

Two Part D figures are also confirmed for 2027: the out-of-pocket drug cap rises to $2,400 (from $2,100 in 2026), and the maximum Part D deductible is $700 (from $615 in 2026). The 2027 Part B premium, Part B deductible and IRMAA income brackets have not been announced yet; CMS publishes those later in the fall.