Medicare Advantage

Columbus C-SNPs for 2027: the Chronic Condition Special Needs Plans in Franklin County

People in Columbus can choose from 79 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 92 this year. 27 of this year’s plans are gone, 14 are new to Franklin County, and 28 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 5 of them under a new name.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Fall 2026. If you live with a long-term health condition like diabetes or heart disease, you may qualify for a special kind of Medicare Advantage plan built around that diagnosis. For 2027, Franklin County — the county Columbus is in — will have eight Chronic Condition Special Needs Plans (C-SNPs) from four carriers, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source File for the coming plan year.

These plans sit alongside the broader Medicare Advantage lineup, but they work differently from a standard plan. Here is what to know as the Annual Enrollment Period (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026) runs.

How a C-SNP works

A Chronic Condition Special Needs Plan is a type of Medicare Advantage plan designed for people living with a specific long-term illness. CMS sets the list of qualifying conditions — common ones include diabetes, chronic heart failure, cardiovascular disorders, chronic lung disorders, and end-stage renal disease, among others.

Because every member has the same (or a related) condition, C-SNPs tend to be built around that diagnosis — for example, the drug formulary, the care coordination, and the provider network are shaped with that condition in mind. Every C-SNP in Franklin County for 2027 includes prescription drug coverage.

A C-SNP replaces Original Medicare the same way any Medicare Advantage plan does: you get Part A, Part B and Part D benefits through the plan.

You need a qualifying diagnosis — in writing

You cannot simply pick a C-SNP off a list. To enroll, your doctor or other qualified provider has to confirm, in writing, that you have the chronic condition the plan serves. The plan uses a short form that your provider signs; if the confirmation is not returned, enrollment is cancelled.

That extra step is why C-SNPs show up differently on the Medicare Plan Finder and why an agent will ask about your diagnosis up front. Only one or two conditions are served by each plan — read the plan's name and materials carefully to see which one it covers.

The 8 C-SNPs offered in Franklin County for 2027

Of the 79 Medicare Advantage plans available in Franklin County for 2027, 8 are C-SNPs. (The county also has 11 Dual Eligible SNPs and 5 Institutional SNPs — different categories with different rules.)

By carrier, the C-SNPs are:

• Aetna (CVS Health) — 2 plans: Aetna Medicare Chronic Care (HMO C-SNP); Aetna Medicare Chronic Care Total (HMO C-SNP)
• Devoted Health — 3 plans: DEVOTED C-SNP ENHANCED 020 OH (HMO C-SNP) (renamed from DEVOTED C-SNP PREMIUM 020 OH); DEVOTED C-SNP GIVEBACK EXTRAS 023 OH (HMO C-SNP) (new for 2027); DEVOTED C-SNP PLUS 016 OH (HMO C-SNP)
• Humana — 1 plan: Humana Gold Plus - Diabetes and Heart (HMO C-SNP)
• UnitedHealthcare — 2 plans: UHC Complete Care OH-18 (HMO-POS C-SNP); UHC Complete Care Support OH-1A (HMO-POS C-SNP) (new for 2027)

The table on this page lists every plan with its type and drug coverage. The plan's own Evidence of Coverage, formulary and provider directory are the authoritative sources on costs, drugs covered and in-network providers — do not rely on the plan name alone to tell you which condition it serves. We are naming only what the plan name itself states (for example, Humana's name lists diabetes and heart).

When you can enroll

Two enrollment paths matter here.

The Annual Enrollment Period runs Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026. Anyone with Medicare can use this window to join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage plan. The change takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.

A Special Enrollment Period for chronic conditions. If you have a qualifying chronic condition, you generally have a one-time SEP to enroll in a C-SNP that serves that condition — outside the fall window. You keep that opportunity until you use it to join a C-SNP. Talk to the plan or call 1-800-MEDICARE to confirm your eligibility.

If you are already in a C-SNP and no longer meet the condition requirement, the plan will give you a grace period to switch to another Medicare plan.

What else is changing in 2027

A few program-level numbers are already set for 2027 and apply to anyone with Part D coverage, including through a C-SNP:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027 (it is $2,100 in 2026).
• The Part D maximum deductible rises to $700 in 2027 (it is $615 in 2026).
• The coverage gap, or "donut hole," remains gone — Part D has three phases now.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which lets you spread drug costs across the year, continues to be available at no extra charge.

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, have not been published yet. CMS typically announces them later in the fall. We will update our coverage when those come out.

Across Franklin County's full Medicare Advantage lineup for 2027, 27 plans are not returning, 14 are new, and 5 have been renamed. If you are already enrolled in a plan, read the Annual Notice of Change you received in September — it spells out exactly what is changing for your plan.