Medicare Advantage

Medicare and Medicaid in Wisconsin: 22 Dual Special Needs Plans for 2027

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsinites who have both Medicare and Medicaid will see 22 Dual Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) available somewhere in the state for 2027, out of 117 Medicare Advantage plans statewide, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source File for the coming plan year. Nine carriers are in the D-SNP market in Wisconsin, and availability is decided county by county, so the plans a reader in Ashland can pick from will not match the plans a reader in Kenosha can pick from.

The 2027 numbers become usable during the Annual Enrollment Period, which runs October 15 – December 7, 2026. Any choice made in that window takes effect January 1, 2027.

What is a D-SNP in Wisconsin and who qualifies in 2027?

A D-SNP is a type of Medicare Advantage plan built for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid, and in Wisconsin, eligibility is confirmed by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the state Medicaid agency. You cannot enroll in a D-SNP in 2027 unless the state verifies that you qualify for Medicaid at a level the plan accepts.

Two broad groups qualify. "Full dual eligibles" have Medicare and get full Medicaid benefits from the state. "Partial dual eligibles" have Medicare and get help from Medicaid with Medicare premiums or cost sharing through programs such as QMB, SLMB or QI, but not full Medicaid benefits. Each D-SNP is designed around one or more of those categories, and the state's confirmation of your status determines which plans you can actually join. Every D-SNP in Wisconsin for 2027 listed in the CMS file includes prescription drug coverage.

How many D-SNPs are offered in Wisconsin for 2027, and which carriers offer them?

Wisconsin has 22 D-SNPs for 2027, part of 117 Medicare Advantage plans in the state. The CMS Landscape file also shows 4 Chronic Condition Special Needs Plans (C-SNPs) and 2 Institutional Special Needs Plans (I-SNPs) for the same year.

Nine carriers offer D-SNPs somewhere in Wisconsin for 2027. In alphabetical order, they are Centene (WellCare) with 2 plans, Community Care with 1, Elevance Health (Anthem) with 2, Group Health Cooperative of Eau Claire with 1, Humana with 2, Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin with 4, Network Health Medicare Advantage Plans with 1, Quartz Medicare Advantage (HMO) with 2, and UnitedHealthcare with 7. Several plans are new for 2027, including Anthem Dual Advantage Plus, Anthem Full Dual Advantage, and multiple UnitedHealthcare entries (UHC Dual Complete WI-S1 and UHC Dual Complete WI-YL). Others carry familiar coverage under new names — for example, the Wellcare MHS Health Wisconsin plans were previously branded as Wellcare Dual Access Sync and Wellcare Dual Reserve, the Molina My Choice plans were previously the My Choice Wisconsin Medicare Dual Advantage and Partnership plans, and three UnitedHealthcare plans were renamed from the UHC Dual Complete WI-V001, WI-D001 and WI-D002 identifiers. The full plan-by-plan list is in the table on this page.

How often can a dual-eligible person in Wisconsin change plans in 2027?

People with both Medicare and Medicaid in Wisconsin generally have more chances to change plans than other Medicare beneficiaries. In addition to the Annual Enrollment Period of October 15 – December 7, 2026 for coverage starting January 1, 2027, dual-eligible individuals typically qualify for a Special Enrollment Period that lets them make a change once per quarter during the first three quarters of the calendar year.

They also get a Special Enrollment Period when their Medicaid status changes — for example, when a person first becomes dual eligible, loses Medicaid, or moves between full and partial dual categories. The exact rules and effective dates for each SEP are explained at Medicare.gov and by 1-800-MEDICARE. A plan is not locked in for the year the way it often is for someone who only has Medicare.

How do I check which D-SNPs are offered in my Wisconsin county for 2027?

Use the Medicare Plan Finder at Medicare.gov and enter your ZIP code, because D-SNP availability in Wisconsin for 2027 is set county by county. A plan listed in the statewide count may not be sold where you live.

The county footprints vary widely. The two Anthem plans and three UnitedHealthcare plans (UHC Dual Advantage WI-V1, UHC Dual Advantage WI-V2 and UHC Dual Complete WI-Q1) each appear in dozens of counties, while the Gundersen Quartz and UW Health Quartz plans are each listed in a single county, and Community Care's Partnership Program is listed in 8. For specifics on your county — including the plan's Evidence of Coverage, provider network, formulary and cost sharing — check Medicare.gov, call 1-800-MEDICARE (24 hours a day, 7 days a week), or request the plan's documents directly from the carrier.

Where can Wisconsin dual-eligible residents get free help in 2027?

Free, unbiased help is available year-round from Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE and at Medicare.gov, including the Plan Finder tool that lists every 2027 Medicare Advantage, D-SNP, C-SNP and I-SNP plan available in a given Wisconsin ZIP code. For questions about Medicaid eligibility — the piece that determines whether a D-SNP is even an option — contact the Wisconsin Department of Health Services or your county or tribal income maintenance agency.

If a plan is renamed for 2027, as several Wisconsin D-SNPs are, the Annual Notice of Change mailed by the carrier each fall explains what is different. Reading that notice before December 7, 2026 is the simplest way to see whether the plan still fits.