Medicare Advantage

Arlington Medicare Advantage plans for chronic conditions in 2027: how C-SNPs work

People in Arlington can choose from 83 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 89 this year. 28 of this year’s plans are gone, 22 are new to Tarrant County, and 32 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 10 of them under a new name.

ARLINGTON, Texas — Fall 2026. If you live with a long-term health condition like diabetes, heart failure or kidney disease, Medicare offers a specific kind of Advantage plan built around you: a Chronic Condition Special Needs Plan, or C-SNP. For plan year 2027, Tarrant County — the county Arlington sits in — will have 14 C-SNPs offered by six carriers, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source File for 2027.

C-SNPs are not for everyone. You need a qualifying diagnosis, confirmed by your provider, before you can enroll. But if you qualify, you also get a Special Enrollment Period, which means you do not have to wait for the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7, 2026) to make a move.

What a C-SNP actually is

A Chronic Condition Special Needs Plan is a type of Medicare Advantage plan. Like other Advantage plans, it bundles Part A (hospital), Part B (medical) and almost always Part D (prescription drugs) into one plan from a private insurer approved by Medicare. All 14 C-SNPs in Tarrant County for 2027 include drug coverage.

What makes a C-SNP different is who it is for. CMS only lets insurers sell these plans to people who have one of a defined list of severe or disabling chronic conditions — things like diabetes, chronic heart failure, cardiovascular disorders, end-stage renal disease, or chronic lung disorders. The plan's provider network, drug formulary and extra benefits are shaped around managing that condition. Many C-SNPs include care coordination, a dedicated care team, and a care plan built with your doctor.

Because the plan is designed around one condition group, it is not a good fit for someone who does not have that condition — and Medicare will not let you enroll if you do not.

The C-SNPs offered in Tarrant County for 2027

The table below lists every Medicare Advantage plan available in the county. For C-SNPs specifically, six carriers will offer plans in 2027: Aetna (CVS Health) with 1, Elevance Health (Anthem) with 3, Humana with 5, ProCare Advantage with 2, UnitedHealthcare with 2, and Verda Health Plan of Texas with 1.

The 14 C-SNPs, in alphabetical order by carrier, are:

• Aetna Medicare Chronic Care Total (HMO C-SNP) — Aetna (CVS Health)
• Wellpoint Chronic Care (HMO-POS C-SNP) — Elevance Health (Anthem)
• Wellpoint Chronic Care Select (HMO-POS C-SNP) — Elevance Health (Anthem), new for 2027
• Wellpoint Kidney Care (HMO-POS C-SNP) — Elevance Health (Anthem)
• Humana DaVita Kidney Care (PPO C-SNP) — Humana, new for 2027
• Humana DaVita Kidney Care (PPO C-SNP) — Humana, new for 2027
• Humana Gold Plus - Diabetes and Heart (HMO C-SNP) — Humana
• Humana Gold Plus - Diabetes and Heart (HMO C-SNP) — Humana
• Humana Gold Plus - Diabetes and Heart (HMO C-SNP) — Humana, new for 2027
• ProCare Advantage - Diabetes Care Management (HMO-POS C-SNP) — ProCare Advantage
• ProCare Advantage - Kidney Care (HMO-POS C-SNP) — ProCare Advantage
• UHC Complete Care TX-29 (Regional PPO C-SNP) — UnitedHealthcare
• UHC Complete Care TX-3P (HMO-POS C-SNP) — UnitedHealthcare
• Verda Noble Chronic Care (HMO C-SNP) — Verda Health Plan of Texas, new for 2027

Only plans whose name states a condition (for example, kidney care or diabetes and heart) are built around that condition. For every other plan name, you have to check the plan's own materials to see which condition it serves.

How enrollment actually works

C-SNPs have a step most Medicare Advantage plans do not. Along with the usual application, Medicare requires a Chronic Condition Verification form. Your doctor (or another qualified provider) signs it to confirm you have the condition the plan covers. The plan's insurer will contact your provider if you cannot supply it right away, and you generally have up to a set period after enrolling for the condition to be verified. If it cannot be confirmed, your enrollment ends.

Because the condition itself is the key, Medicare gives people with a qualifying diagnosis a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) to join a C-SNP. You do not have to wait for the Annual Enrollment Period. You can use the SEP once per calendar year to enroll in — or switch to — a C-SNP that fits your condition. Once you are enrolled in a C-SNP, the SEP for that condition closes until you move to another situation.

If you lose your qualifying status (for example, your condition is no longer verified), you get a separate SEP to switch to another Medicare Advantage plan or go back to Original Medicare.

How this fits the 2027 Annual Enrollment Period

The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and any change you make takes effect January 1, 2027. If you do nothing, your current plan simply renews — assuming the carrier is offering it again — with the changes spelled out in the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) your plan mailed you in September. In Tarrant County overall, 28 Advantage plans are not returning for 2027, 22 are new, and 10 are being renamed, so even people who want to stay put should read the ANOC closely.

For C-SNP shoppers specifically, two 2027 Part D numbers CMS has already published are worth knowing: the Part D out-of-pocket cap will be $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026), and the Part D maximum deductible will be $700 (up from $615 in 2026). The 2027 Part B standard premium and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets have not been announced yet; CMS usually releases those in the fall.

How to decide if a C-SNP is right for you

A few questions to work through, in order:

1. Do you have a qualifying chronic condition? Ask your doctor plainly. Without a verified diagnosis, you cannot enroll in a C-SNP. 2. Are your doctors and hospitals in the plan's network? C-SNPs are usually HMO or PPO plans; check the plan's provider directory for each one you are considering. 3. Are your prescriptions on the plan's formulary, and at what tier? Drug coverage is included in all 14 C-SNPs for 2027, but the specific drugs covered differ plan by plan. 4. How does the plan handle care coordination? This is where C-SNPs often stand out — ask how the care team works, who your contact would be, and how referrals are handled. 5. What would your total costs look like? Premium, deductibles, copays and the Part D out-of-pocket cap all matter. Use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov to compare side by side.

If you are not sure a C-SNP is a better fit than a regular Medicare Advantage plan — or than Original Medicare with a stand-alone Part D plan and a Medigap policy — that is worth a longer conversation. There is no one right answer.