Medicare Advantage

Full or partial dual eligible? Here's what it means

For 2027, Laredo is looking at 53 Medicare Advantage plans: 9 new, 20 gone since 2026, and 24 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 8 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Webb County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

LAREDO, Texas — For people here who have both Medicare and Medicaid, the lineup of Dual Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) available for 2027 is now set. Laredo is in Webb County, where the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) lists 15 D-SNPs from six carriers for the 2027 plan year — a mix of plans that are returning, plans that have been renamed, and plans that are new to the county. The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and any change you make takes effect January 1, 2027.

What is a Dual Special Needs Plan, and who qualifies in Laredo?

A D-SNP is a type of Medicare Advantage plan built for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. To join one, you must be enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B and also qualify for Medicaid in Texas. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is the agency that decides your Medicaid level; Medicare does not make that call.

Dual eligibility comes in two general flavors. "Full" dual eligibility means Medicaid pays for a broad set of services and often helps with Medicare cost-sharing. "Partial" dual eligibility usually means Medicaid helps pay Medicare premiums and some cost-sharing through a Medicare Savings Program (for example, the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary or QMB category), but does not cover full Medicaid benefits. Different D-SNPs are designed for different categories, so the plan you can join depends on which category you fall into. If you are not sure, call 1-800-MEDICARE or contact Texas Medicaid to confirm.

How many D-SNPs are offered in Webb County for 2027, and from which carriers?

For 2027, Webb County has 15 D-SNPs from six carriers. CMS also lists other Special Needs Plans in the county for 2027: 6 Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs) and 4 Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs), which are separate from D-SNPs and have their own eligibility rules.

The six carriers offering D-SNPs in the county for 2027 are:

• Aetna (CVS Health) — 4 D-SNPs
• Centene (WellCare) — 1 D-SNP
• HealthSpring — 2 D-SNPs
• Molina Healthcare of Texas, Inc. — 1 D-SNP
• Prominence Health Plan — 2 D-SNPs
• UnitedHealthcare — 5 D-SNPs

The full table on this page lists every D-SNP by name. Several are returning plans, several have been renamed from 2026, and several are new for 2027, including Aetna Medicare QMB Only Care (HMO D-SNP), HealthSpring TotalCare Plus (HMO D-SNP), Prominence Bridge (HMO D-SNP), UHC Dual Advantage TX-V11 (HMO-POS D-SNP), UHC Dual Complete TX-Q6 (HMO-POS D-SNP), UHC Dual Complete TX-S6 (HMO-POS D-SNP), and UHC Dual Complete TX-YL2 (HMO-POS D-SNP).

Renamed plans for 2027 include Aetna Medicare Full Dual Care (HMO D-SNP), Aetna Medicare Full Dual Extra Care (HMO D-SNP), Aetna Medicare QMB Only Extra Care (HMO D-SNP), and Wellcare Superior HealthPlan Dual Liberty Sync (HMO D-SNP). A rename does not always mean the plan itself is identical; the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) from the insurer spells out what is different.

How often can a dual-eligible person in Laredo change plans?

If you have Medicaid or qualify for Extra Help with Part D drug costs, you generally have more chances to change plans than other Medicare members. In addition to the fall Annual Enrollment Period (October 15–December 7, 2026, for 2027 coverage), there is a monthly Special Enrollment Period that lets dual-eligible and Extra Help members make certain changes, such as joining an integrated D-SNP or dropping Medicare Advantage to return to Original Medicare with a stand-alone Part D drug plan.

The exact rules — and how often you can use that monthly opportunity — have been adjusted by CMS in recent years. Before you make a move, confirm the current rules by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048) or checking medicare.gov. There is also the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31, 2027, which lets anyone already in a Medicare Advantage plan make one change.

If you do nothing during the fall window, your current plan simply renews for 2027 — provided it is being offered next year — with the changes described in the ANOC your insurer mails you.

How do I confirm my Medicaid status and D-SNP eligibility?

The fastest way to confirm your dual status is to contact Texas Medicaid directly through Texas Health and Human Services, and to call 1-800-MEDICARE to confirm how your status interacts with Medicare. Your Medicaid category (for example, full Medicaid or QMB) determines which D-SNPs you can join.

Medicare.gov's Plan Finder lets you type in your ZIP code and view every Medicare Advantage, D-SNP and Part D plan available where you live, along with each plan's specific costs, drug list and provider network. That is the official place to compare plan details. If you want help one-on-one, 1-800-MEDICARE is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

What 2027 Medicare figures are already set, and what is still coming?

A few program-wide 2027 figures have been confirmed by CMS and apply to Part D drug coverage, which is built into every D-SNP in Webb County:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026).
• Part D maximum deductible: $700 in 2027 (up from $615 in 2026).
• Part D national base beneficiary premium: $41.33 for 2027 (this is a formula input, not what any plan charges).

The 2027 standard Part B premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, had not been announced as of fall 2026. CMS typically releases them later in the fall. For dual-eligible residents, Medicaid or a Medicare Savings Program often helps cover the Part B premium, so these figures may not come out of your pocket — but it is worth confirming your category with Texas Medicaid.