Medicare Advantage

Laredo's C-SNP lineup for 2027: six chronic-condition plans and how to join one

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 — As the Annual Enrollment Period for 2027 Medicare coverage runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, 2026, Laredo residents living with a serious chronic illness have a specific kind of Medicare Advantage plan to consider: a Chronic Condition Special Needs Plan, or C-SNP. These plans are built around people with a qualifying diagnosis, and in Webb County — the county Laredo sits in — there are six of them on the 2027 landscape, from three carriers.

C-SNPs are not for everyone. You need a qualifying chronic condition that your doctor confirms in writing. But if you qualify, you also get a Special Enrollment Period that lets you join outside the usual fall window.

What is a C-SNP and how does it work in Laredo?

A C-SNP is a Medicare Advantage plan designed for people with one or more specific chronic conditions, such as diabetes or certain cardiovascular disorders. Like other Medicare Advantage plans, a C-SNP replaces the way Original Medicare pays your claims and bundles your Part A, Part B and (in these six Webb County plans) Part D drug coverage into one plan.

What makes a C-SNP different is that enrollment is limited. Only people with the qualifying chronic condition the plan is built for can join, and the plan's provider network, drug list and extra benefits are shaped around that condition. Care coordination — a nurse or case manager who helps keep appointments, specialists and prescriptions in sync — is a common feature of this plan type.

How many C-SNPs are offered in Webb County for 2027?

For 2027, Webb County has 6 C-SNPs out of 53 Medicare Advantage plans overall. The county also has 15 Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs), which are for people with both Medicare and Medicaid, and 4 Institutional Special Needs Plans (I-SNPs), which serve people living in a nursing facility or needing that level of care.

Three carriers offer C-SNPs in the county for 2027: HealthSpring and Prominence Health Plan each offer two, and UnitedHealthcare offers two. One of the HealthSpring plans is new for the 2027 plan year.

Which C-SNPs are available in Laredo for 2027?

The table on this page lists every Medicare Advantage plan in Webb County. The six C-SNPs for 2027, in alphabetical order by carrier, are:

• HealthSpring Achieve (HMO C-SNP) — HealthSpring, with drug coverage
• HealthSpring Achieve Savings (HMO C-SNP) — HealthSpring, with drug coverage, new for 2027
• Prominence Diabetes and Heart Care Plus (HMO C-SNP) — Prominence Health Plan, with drug coverage
• Prominence Diabetes and Heart Giveback (HMO C-SNP) — Prominence Health Plan, with drug coverage
• UHC Complete Care TX-19 (HMO-POS C-SNP) — UnitedHealthcare, with drug coverage
• UHC Complete Care TX-29 (Regional PPO C-SNP) — UnitedHealthcare, with drug coverage

A plan's name only tells you which condition it serves when the name actually says so — for example, the two Prominence plans say "Diabetes and Heart" in the name. For the others, you have to look at the plan's own materials or the Medicare Plan Finder to see the exact qualifying conditions.

How do I prove I qualify for a C-SNP?

To enroll in a C-SNP, you need a qualifying chronic condition confirmed by a provider. In practice, after you apply, the plan will contact your doctor (or ask you to have your doctor send a short form) verifying the diagnosis. If the provider does not confirm the condition within the plan's time frame, the enrollment can be cancelled.

That means two steps matter: make sure your diagnosis is clearly documented in your medical record, and be ready to give the plan your doctor's name and contact information when you apply.

When can I enroll — do I have to wait until Dec. 7?

People with a qualifying chronic condition have a Special Enrollment Period that lets them join a C-SNP outside the fall Annual Enrollment Period. In other words, you do not have to wait for Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026 to sign up for 2027 coverage; once you have the qualifying diagnosis, you generally have a window to enroll in a C-SNP that serves your condition.

Once you are enrolled in a C-SNP, your ability to change plans later works differently from the standard rules, so it is worth asking the plan — or 1-800-MEDICARE — exactly how your Special Enrollment Period works in your situation before you switch.

For readers who prefer the usual timeline: the Annual Enrollment Period runs Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026, and any change you make takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. If you do nothing and your current plan is offered again in 2027, it renews automatically with any changes spelled out in the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) your plan mails each fall. Across Webb County, 20 Medicare Advantage plans are not returning for 2027, 9 are new, and 8 have been renamed — so reading your ANOC matters even if you plan to stay put.

What's changing in Medicare drug costs for 2027?

Two Part D figures are confirmed for 2027 and apply to Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage, including C-SNPs:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027, up from $2,100 in 2026.
• The maximum Part D deductible rises to $700 in 2027, up from $615 in 2026.

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, have not been announced yet. CMS typically publishes those figures later in the fall. The coverage gap (the old "donut hole") has been eliminated since 2025, so Part D now works in three phases.