Medicare Advantage

Medicare Advantage C-SNPs in Memphis for 2027: how chronic-condition plans work and who can join

For 2027, Memphis is looking at 74 Medicare Advantage plans: 12 new, 11 gone since 2026, and 30 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 7 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Shelby County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

MEMPHIS — As the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, 2026, people in Memphis who live with a long-term health condition have a specific kind of Medicare Advantage plan to consider for 2027: a Chronic Condition Special Needs Plan, or C-SNP. These plans are built around one or more qualifying chronic conditions, and in Shelby County — the county Memphis is in — 15 C-SNPs will be offered for the 2027 plan year, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape files.

If you don't have a qualifying condition, a C-SNP is not for you. If you do, there are rules worth knowing before Dec. 7.

What a C-SNP is, in plain language

A C-SNP is a type of Medicare Advantage plan designed for people with specific chronic conditions, such as diabetes or certain cardiovascular disorders. Like other Medicare Advantage plans, a C-SNP replaces how you get your Part A and Part B benefits and, in Shelby County, every C-SNP for 2027 also includes Part D drug coverage.

What makes a C-SNP different is the focus. The plan's provider network, drug list and extra benefits are shaped around the condition it serves. That can mean more targeted care coordination, but it also means the plan may be a poor fit if your main health needs are somewhere else.

Who qualifies, and how a provider confirms it

You can only enroll in a C-SNP if you have the chronic condition the plan serves. Enrollment is not based on your word alone — the plan will send a short form (CMS calls it a chronic condition verification form) to your doctor or other qualified provider. Your provider confirms the diagnosis, and the plan uses that confirmation to complete your enrollment.

If your provider cannot verify a qualifying condition within the window the plan allows, enrollment will not go through. It is a good idea to let your doctor's office know a form is on the way.

The Special Enrollment Period for a qualifying condition

Most people make Medicare Advantage changes during the Annual Enrollment Period (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026, for coverage that starts Jan. 1, 2027) or the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (Jan. 1 – March 31). But people with a qualifying chronic condition have another option.

If you are newly diagnosed with a condition a C-SNP covers — or you already have one and want to switch into a C-SNP — you can generally use a Special Enrollment Period to join. You do not have to wait for fall. If you later lose eligibility (for example, the condition no longer qualifies), the plan gives you a grace period to pick a different Medicare plan.

For the specifics on your situation, call 1-800-MEDICARE or check medicare.gov.

C-SNPs in Shelby County for 2027, by carrier

Five carriers will offer C-SNPs in Shelby County for 2027. The table on this page lists every plan with its type and drug coverage; the carriers and their C-SNP counts are:

• BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee — 2 C-SNPs: BlueAdvantage Total Heart and Diabetes (PPO C-SNP); BlueAdvantage Total Heart and Diabetes Plus (PPO C-SNP).
• Devoted Health — 5 C-SNPs: DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE ENHANCED 037 TN (PPO C-SNP) — new for 2027; DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE GIVEBACK EXTRAS 036 TN (PPO C-SNP) — new for 2027; DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE PLUS 020 TN (PPO C-SNP); DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE PLUS 031 TN (PPO C-SNP) — new for 2027; DEVOTED C-SNP ENHANCED 016 TN (HMO C-SNP) — renamed from DEVOTED C-SNP PREMIUM 016 TN.
• Humana — 1 C-SNP: Humana Gold Plus - Diabetes and Heart (HMO C-SNP).
• UnitedHealthcare — 2 C-SNPs: UHC Complete Care Support TC-6 (HMO-POS C-SNP); UHC Complete Care TC-0005 (HMO-POS C-SNP).
• Zing Health — 5 C-SNPs: Zing Elite Diabetes & Heart TN-MS (HMO C-SNP); Zing Elite Essentials Diabetes & Heart TN-MS (HMO C-SNP) — new for 2027; Zing Open Choice Diabetes & Heart TN (PPO C-SNP); Zing Select Diabetes & Heart TN-MS (HMO C-SNP); Zing Select Dialysis TN-MS (HMO C-SNP).

A plan's name only tells you which condition it serves when the name says so. For every other detail — the exact qualifying diagnoses, the provider network, the drug list and any extra benefits — look at the plan's Evidence of Coverage or compare on medicare.gov.

How to decide if a C-SNP fits

Three practical questions help:

1. Do I have a qualifying condition, and will my provider confirm it? If the answer is no, a C-SNP is not available to you, but a standard Medicare Advantage plan or Original Medicare with a Part D plan may be. 2. Are the doctors and specialists I already see in the plan's network? C-SNPs are often HMO or PPO plans with specific networks. Check before you switch. 3. Does the plan's drug list cover the medications I take? For 2026, Part D has an out-of-pocket cap of $2,100 and a maximum deductible of $615; for 2027, CMS has confirmed the cap moves to $2,400 and the maximum deductible to $700. The specific copays and tier placement are set by each plan.

If you already have a plan and do nothing, your current plan renews for 2027 if it is offered again, with any changes spelled out in its Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). Read that document — it is the clearest summary of what is changing on your plan.

Dates and figures to keep in mind

• Annual Enrollment Period: Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026. Changes take effect Jan. 1, 2027.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period: Jan. 1 – March 31, 2027 (one switch allowed if you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan).
• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 in 2026; $2,400 in 2027.
• Part D maximum deductible: $615 in 2026; $700 in 2027.
• The 2027 Part B standard premium, Part B deductible and IRMAA income brackets have not been announced yet. CMS typically publishes them later in the fall.