Medicare Advantage

Can You Switch Your Dual Plan Every Month in Irving?

Dallas County has 84 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 29 plans are not coming back, 20 are new, and 31 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 9 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Irving, not which plan to pick.

Irving, Texas — fall 2026. If you have both Medicare and Medicaid, your plan choices for 2027 look a little different this year. Irving is in Dallas County, where the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) lists 20 Dual Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) for 2027 — a type of Medicare Advantage plan built specifically for people who qualify for both programs. Seven carriers offer them, and several are new or renamed for the coming plan year.

The fall Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and any change you make takes effect January 1, 2027. But if you are dually eligible, you also have extra chances to switch during the year that most people on Medicare do not get. Here is how to read the Irving lineup and confirm where you stand.

What is a Dual Special Needs Plan in Irving for 2027?

A Dual Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) is a Medicare Advantage plan limited to people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. In Dallas County, 20 of the 84 Medicare Advantage plans listed for 2027 are D-SNPs. The other Special Needs Plans in the county are 15 Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs) and 7 Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs); those are separate categories and have their own eligibility rules.

Every D-SNP in Dallas County includes Part D prescription drug coverage. Most are HMO or HMO-POS plans; UnitedHealthcare also offers a Regional PPO D-SNP. The table below lists every 2027 D-SNP in the county by carrier.

Which carriers offer D-SNPs in Dallas County for 2027?

Seven carriers offer D-SNPs in Dallas County for 2027: Aetna (CVS Health) with 4 plans, Centene (WellCare) with 3, Elevance Health (Anthem) with 3, HealthSpring with 2, Humana with 3, Molina Healthcare of Texas with 1, and UnitedHealthcare with 4.

In alphabetical order by carrier, the 2027 D-SNPs are:

• Aetna (CVS Health): Aetna Medicare Full Dual Care (HMO D-SNP) — renamed; Aetna Medicare Full Dual Extra Care (HMO D-SNP) — renamed; Aetna Medicare QMB Only Care (HMO D-SNP) — new for 2027; Aetna Medicare QMB Only Extra Care (HMO D-SNP) — renamed.
• Centene (WellCare): Wellcare Superior HealthPlan Dual Access (HMO D-SNP) — renamed; Wellcare Superior HealthPlan Dual Align (HMO D-SNP); Wellcare Superior HealthPlan Dual Reserve (HMO D-SNP) — renamed.
• Elevance Health (Anthem): Wellpoint Dual Advantage Plus Select (HMO D-SNP) — new for 2027; Wellpoint Dual Advantage Select (HMO D-SNP) — new for 2027; Wellpoint Full Dual Advantage Select (HMO D-SNP) — new for 2027.
• HealthSpring: HealthSpring TotalCare (HMO D-SNP); HealthSpring TotalCare Plus (HMO D-SNP) — new for 2027.
• Humana: Humana Gold Plus SNP-DE H0028-032 (HMO D-SNP); Humana Gold Plus SNP-DE H4461-071 (HMO D-SNP); Humana Gold Plus SNP-DE H4461-072 (HMO D-SNP).
• Molina Healthcare of Texas, Inc.: Molina Medicare Complete Care Plus (HMO D-SNP).
• UnitedHealthcare: UHC Dual Advantage TX-V11 (HMO-POS D-SNP) — new for 2027; UHC Dual Complete TX-Q6 (HMO-POS D-SNP) — new for 2027; UHC Dual Complete TX-S001 (Regional PPO D-SNP); UHC Dual Complete TX-Y1 (HMO-POS D-SNP) — new for 2027.

Names and benefits can change year to year. The plan's Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) spells out exactly what is different for 2027.

Who qualifies for a D-SNP — full dual vs. partial dual?

You qualify for a D-SNP only if you have Medicare and some level of Medicaid help from the state of Texas. "Full dual" means you have full Medicaid benefits in addition to Medicare. "Partial dual" means you qualify for a Medicare Savings Program that helps with Medicare costs — most commonly QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary), SLMB (Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary) or QI (Qualifying Individual) — but not full Medicaid.

Each D-SNP is designed for a specific group. Some are limited to full-benefit duals; others serve people in the QMB category only. Plan names in the Dallas County lineup hint at this (for example, "Full Dual" vs. "QMB Only"), but the plan's own enrollment materials spell out the exact category it accepts. Your Texas Medicaid eligibility category is set by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, not by the insurance company — and that category decides which D-SNPs you can join.

If you are not sure which category you fall into, 1-800-MEDICARE and your Texas Medicaid caseworker can confirm it.

How often can a dually eligible person change plans?

If you have Medicare and Medicaid (or Extra Help with Part D), you get more chances to change plans than most people on Medicare. In addition to the fall Annual Enrollment Period (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026), you generally have a monthly special enrollment opportunity to:

• join an integrated D-SNP that aligns with your Medicaid plan, or
• leave a Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare with a stand-alone Part D drug plan.

The exact rules for how often you can use this special enrollment period have been tightening in recent years, so confirm what applies to your situation with 1-800-MEDICARE before you switch. Everyone with Medicare Advantage also has the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from Jan. 1 – March 31, 2027, which allows one change.

How do I confirm my eligibility and compare 2027 D-SNPs?

Start by confirming two things: that your Medicare is active, and what level of Medicaid you have in Texas. The quickest ways to do this:

• medicare.gov — sign in to your account to see your Medicare status and use the Plan Finder to compare D-SNPs available at your Irving ZIP code for 2027.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048) — available 24/7 to confirm eligibility and walk through plan options.
• Your Texas Medicaid letter or caseworker — your most recent Medicaid eligibility notice shows your category (full Medicaid, QMB, SLMB, QI, etc.).
• Social Security Administration — if you also get Extra Help with Part D, SSA can verify that.

For 2027, keep two program-level numbers in mind as you compare plans: the Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 (up from $2,100 in 2026), and the Part D maximum deductible rises to $700 (up from $615 in 2026). CMS announces the 2027 Part B standard premium, Part B deductible and IRMAA income brackets later in the fall, usually in November. If you have full Medicaid, Medicaid often covers Medicare cost-sharing — your plan materials and your Texas Medicaid notice explain how.

If you do nothing during Annual Enrollment, your current plan simply renews for 2027 if it is still offered, with the updates described in its ANOC. Across Dallas County, CMS lists 20 new Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, 29 not returning and 9 renamed — so it is worth opening the ANOC envelope when it arrives.