Medicare Advantage

Have Diabetes or Heart Failure? Lubbock C-SNPs for 2027

Lubbock County has 38 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 19 plans are not coming back, 7 are new, and 24 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 Lubbock, not which plan to pick.

LUBBOCK, Texas — For people on Medicare who are managing a long-term health condition like diabetes, heart failure or chronic kidney disease, there is a type of Medicare Advantage plan built around that diagnosis. It is called a Chronic Condition Special Needs Plan, or C-SNP. During the Annual Enrollment Period that runs Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, 2026, Lubbock County residents can look at the C-SNPs offered here for the 2027 plan year — and, for many people, a separate enrollment window outside those dates may apply too.

What is a C-SNP and how does it work in Lubbock County for 2027?

A C-SNP is a Medicare Advantage plan that only enrolls people living with a specific severe or disabling chronic condition. Like other Medicare Advantage plans, a C-SNP covers everything Original Medicare covers, usually includes Part D drug coverage, and is run by a private insurance company that contracts with Medicare.

What makes a C-SNP different is its focus. Because every member has the same type of condition, the plan is designed around that condition — the drug list, care coordination and provider network are all shaped with that group in mind. Medicare keeps a defined list of qualifying chronic conditions, which includes things like diabetes, chronic heart failure, cardiovascular disorders and chronic kidney disease, among others.

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

Two C-SNPs are offered in Lubbock County for the 2027 plan year. They sit inside a wider local Special Needs Plan lineup that also includes 13 Dual Eligible SNPs (D-SNPs, for people with both Medicare and Medicaid) and 3 Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs, for people living in a nursing home or needing that level of care).

Two carriers offer C-SNPs here for 2027: Elevance Health (Anthem) with one plan, and UnitedHealthcare with one plan. In alphabetical order by carrier, the C-SNPs available in Lubbock County for 2027 are:

• Wellpoint Kidney Care (HMO-POS C-SNP) — Elevance Health (Anthem); with drug coverage
• UHC Complete Care TX-29 (Regional PPO C-SNP) — UnitedHealthcare; with drug coverage

The table below lists every plan. We are not comparing costs, benefits or ratings here — those are personal to each plan and change by year, and the right place to compare them is the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov.

Who qualifies to enroll in a C-SNP?

To enroll in a C-SNP, you must have the specific chronic condition the plan serves, and a provider has to confirm the diagnosis. The plan will ask for the name and contact information of the doctor or other provider who treats you for that condition, and the plan then verifies it. If the diagnosis cannot be confirmed, enrollment does not go through.

That rule is why not every plan is open to every person. A kidney-focused plan is for people with the kidney condition it is built around; it is not a general plan anyone can pick. Only sign up for a C-SNP whose name matches a condition you actually have — your doctor is the person to confirm that match.

When can someone with a qualifying condition sign up?

Two different enrollment windows matter here.

The first is the Annual Enrollment Period, Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, 2026. Any Medicare beneficiary can use this window to join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage plan for 2027, including a C-SNP. Changes made in this window start Jan. 1, 2027.

The second is a Special Enrollment Period for people with a qualifying chronic condition. If you are newly diagnosed with a condition a local C-SNP covers, you generally get a one-time chance to enroll in that matching C-SNP outside the Annual Enrollment Period. That SEP usually runs until you make a C-SNP choice. If you later lose eligibility — for example, the plan can no longer confirm the condition — there is a short grace period, after which you would be moved out of the C-SNP.

What should I review before I pick a C-SNP in Lubbock for 2027?

Start with the match between the plan and your diagnosis. A C-SNP only helps if its focus lines up with the condition you live with and the specialists you already see. From there, three things are worth checking on each plan, every year:

• The provider network: Are your doctors, specialists and the hospital you prefer in-network for 2027?
• The drug list (formulary): Are the medications you take covered, and in what tier?
• The Annual Notice of Change (ANOC): If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, this document, mailed in September, spells out what is changing for 2027.

Across Lubbock County, 19 Medicare Advantage plans are not returning for 2027, 7 are new, and 9 have been renamed. A renamed plan is not necessarily the same plan under a new label — the ANOC explains what changed.

A few program-level numbers also shift in 2027. The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 (from $2,100 in 2026), and the Part D maximum deductible rises to $700 (from $615 in 2026). CMS has not yet announced the 2027 Part B standard premium, Part B deductible, or IRMAA income brackets; those usually come out in the fall.

What happens if I do nothing by Dec. 7, 2026?

If you do nothing by Dec. 7, 2026, your current Medicare plan renews for 2027 as long as it is still offered, with whatever changes are described in its ANOC. You do not lose coverage just because you did not act. The Annual Enrollment Period is a chance to review, not a requirement to switch.

If your current plan is not returning for 2027, your insurer must tell you in writing, and you have a Special Enrollment Period to pick a new plan.