Medicare Advantage

Washington Medicare Advantage Plans for Chronic Conditions in 2027: 16 C-SNPs

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington residents on Medicare who live with a serious ongoing health condition will have 16 Chronic Condition Special Needs Plans (C-SNPs) to consider for 2027, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files for the coming plan year. The 16 C-SNPs are part of a broader statewide field of 115 Medicare Advantage plans; the other Special Needs Plans in the state include 24 Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) and 4 Institutional Special Needs Plans (I-SNPs).

C-SNPs are a specialized type of Medicare Advantage plan designed around a specific qualifying chronic illness. They are not for everyone — but for people who do qualify, they are worth understanding before the Annual Enrollment Period closes.

What a C-SNP is and who qualifies

A Chronic Condition Special Needs Plan is a Medicare Advantage plan built for people living with a particular qualifying chronic condition — for example, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, or chronic heart failure. CMS defines the list of qualifying conditions, and each C-SNP is approved to serve one or a small set of them.

To enroll, you must:

• Have Medicare Part A and Part B,
• Live in the plan's service area, and
• Have the qualifying chronic condition the plan is designed for, confirmed in writing by your treating provider.

That provider verification is not a formality. If the plan cannot confirm the diagnosis, enrollment may not go through, or it may end after a grace period.

The statewide count and the carriers offering them

For 2027, Washington's 16 C-SNPs come from four carriers, listed here alphabetically:

• Aetna (CVS Health) — 1 plan
• Devoted Health — 11 plans
• Humana — 1 plan
• UnitedHealthcare — 3 plans

The full plan list, with county footprints, appears in the tables on this page rather than being repeated in prose. A few points worth noting from the CMS data: many of the Devoted Health C-SNP offerings and all three UnitedHealthcare C-SNP offerings — the UHC Complete Care Support WA-1A, WA-2A, and WA-3A plans — are new for the coming plan year. The Aetna Medicare Chronic Care (HMO C-SNP) is also new for next year. One Devoted Health plan, DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE ENHANCED 005 WA (PPO C-SNP), was renamed from DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE PREMIUM 005 WA (PPO C-SNP). Each C-SNP on Washington's 2027 list includes drug coverage.

County footprints vary widely. One UnitedHealthcare plan reaches 13 counties, while several Devoted Health plans are offered in only 2 counties. Being listed statewide does not mean a plan is available where you live.

The conditions named in plan names, only as named

CMS rules allow — but do not require — a C-SNP to identify its qualifying condition in the plan name. In Washington's 2027 lineup, only one plan name does so explicitly: Humana Gold Plus - Diabetes and Heart (HMO C-SNP), offered in 10 counties.

For the other 15 C-SNPs — the Aetna Medicare Chronic Care plan, the Devoted Health C-SNP plans, and the UnitedHealthcare Complete Care Support plans — the plan name does not state the qualifying condition. If you are considering one of those plans, ask the carrier directly which chronic condition (or conditions) it is designed to serve before you apply. The CMS Landscape data confirms the plan type but not the condition from the plan name alone.

The Special Enrollment Period for people with a qualifying condition

Most people make Medicare Advantage decisions during the Annual Enrollment Period, October 15 – December 7, 2026, for coverage that starts January 1, 2027.

People with a qualifying chronic condition have an added option. Under CMS rules, becoming eligible for a C-SNP generally opens a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) that allows a one-time enrollment into a C-SNP outside the Annual Enrollment Period. In practical terms, that means if your diagnosis is confirmed in, say, March, you may not have to wait until the next fall to join a C-SNP. The plan will need your provider's verification of the condition. Medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE can walk you through whether an SEP applies to your situation.

Checking a plan in your county

The 16 C-SNPs are counted once statewide, but Medicare Advantage is sold county by county. A plan listed in the Washington data may or may not be offered in your county.

Two reliable ways to check: 1. Go to Medicare.gov and use the Medicare Plan Finder. Enter your ZIP code and, if you want, your prescriptions and preferred pharmacy. Filter for Special Needs Plans to see which C-SNPs serve your address. 2. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including TTY service at 1-877-486-2048.

Plan details — premiums, deductibles, copays, covered benefits, provider networks, drug formularies, and star ratings — come from the Medicare Plan Finder and from each plan's Evidence of Coverage and provider and pharmacy directories. Those are the authoritative sources before you enroll.

Free help

You do not have to sort through this alone, and you do not have to pay anyone to help you compare plans.

• Medicare.gov has the official Plan Finder, enrollment tools, and plain-language explanations of Special Needs Plans and enrollment periods.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) can answer questions about eligibility, enrollment periods, and how to confirm whether a C-SNP serves your county.

Both are free, and neither sells insurance.