While some payers are slimming down their Medicare Advantage reach, some are betting big on special needs plans.
SNPs cover dually eligible Medicaid individuals (D-SNP), those with chronic conditions (C-SNP) and those needing long-term care (I-SNP). CMS released data Sept. 28 breaking down the 2027 MA landscape overall. The agency expects a slight dip in MA plans overall, from 5,553 in 2026 to roughly 5,532 in 2027.
D-SNP parameters are also changing in 2027. Based on a CMS final rule from 2024, new enrollment for some D-SNPs will be limited to individuals also enrolled in an affiliated Medicaid managed care organization. Amid these changes, some of the country’s largest insurers are offering D-SNPs in fewer counties.
Here are six things to know about insurers’ SNP footprints across counties and county equivalents:
- In 2027, the insurers offering SNPs in the most counties are UnitedHealthcare (2,762), Humana (2,259), CVS Health’s Aetna (1,733), Elevance Health (1,584), Centene (1,582) and Devoted Health (1,339). From 2026 to 2027, counties served stayed relatively flat for most of these insurers.
- Among insurers that offered SNPs in both years, Devoted is leading the way with a net increase of 350 counties in 2027, up 35.4% from 2026. Curana Health, First Sacramento Capital Funding, BrightSpring Health Services, Perennial Consortium and UnitedHealthcare follow.
- Singh Holdings, West Virginia United Health System and MedCare Partners Holding did not have SNP offerings in the 2026 landscape data, but their SNP county counts are 116, 10 and one in 2027, respectively.
- Among insurers offering SNPs in both 2026 and 2027, Health Care Service Corp., Centene, CareSource, the Health Plan of West Virginia and Humana are pulling SNPs from the greatest net number of counties between 2026 and 2027. For example, HCSC has a net loss of 264 counties, while Health Plan of West Virginia has a net loss of 77 counties, a 58.3% year-over-year decrease.
- CDS Monarch, EmblemHealth, Clear Spring Health, Memorial Hermann Health System and Providence all had data on SNPs in the 2026 but not the 2027 landscape file. Providence, Memorial Hermann and Clear Spring Health had previously confirmed departures.
- Looking at insurers offering D-SNPs in both years, HCSC, Aetna, Centene, Humana and CareSource are each leaving more than 100 net counties in 2027. Meanwhile, Devoted, CommunityCare, UNICO Services, Independence Health Group and Highmark Health are each adding at least 20 net counties in 2027.
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