Goodsurance

Enrollment & timing

Chronic Condition Medicare Advantage Plans for Diabetes and Heart Disease Nearly Tripled Since 2020

Enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans restricted to people with specific chronic illnesses jumped 45 percent in a single year, according to KFF, with nearly all enrollees in plans focused on diabetes or cardiovascular disease, and new regulatory dynamics may be accelerating insurer interest.

By the Goodsurance editorial teamJuly 7, 2026

Enrollment in Medicare Advantage chronic condition special needs plans, known as C-SNPs, reached approximately 1.7 million people in 2026, a 45 percent increase of about 518,000 enrollees from the prior year, according to a KFF analysis of enrollment data published July 1, 2026. The number of C-SNP plan offerings also rose sharply, from 376 plans in 2025 to 548 in 2026, more than tripling since 2020, when 165 such plans existed.

C-SNPs restrict membership to people with specific serious or disabling chronic conditions. In 2026, nearly all C-SNP enrollees, approximately 97 percent, are in plans that target either diabetes or cardiovascular disease.

Medicare Advantage chronic condition plans for diabetes and heart disease tripled since 2020. Enrollment jumped 45 percent in a single year.

KFF analysts connected part of the surge to new federal rules that took effect in 2025 requiring closer integration between Medicare and Medicaid for dual-eligible special needs plans, known as D-SNPs. Those integration requirements do not apply to C-SNPs, which may have created a market incentive for insurers to develop C-SNP products as a less constrained alternative. C-SNPs now account for 20 percent of all special needs plan enrollment, up from 16 percent in 2025.

Overall, most of the net enrollment gain across all Medicare Advantage plan types in 2026 was concentrated in special needs plans, with C-SNPs contributing a disproportionate share of that growth.

For Medicare-eligible people with qualifying chronic conditions, the expansion may mean more plan choices in their area, though availability varies by county and plan quality differs across offerings.

In plain words

A kind of Medicare Advantage plan made just for people with serious long-term health problems, like diabetes or heart disease, grew very fast in 2026. About 1.7 million people are now in these plans, which is 45 percent more than last year. The number of these plans also tripled since 2020. Almost everyone in them has either diabetes or a heart condition. Part of the reason more insurance companies are offering them is that another type of plan for low-income seniors now has stricter rules. If you have diabetes or heart disease, you may have more plan choices available to you than before.

Understand the basics first

Source: KFF
Read at the source →

More news

Other stories on what is moving in Medicare.

Enrollment & timing

KFF: Nearly All of the 2.6 Million Medicare Advantage Members Who Lost Plans at Year-End 2025 Had at Least One Alternative in 2026

A KFF analysis found 98.9 percent of affected enrollees had a replacement plan available, though rural beneficiaries faced fewer choices and Vermont saw the sharpest disruption.

September 21, 2026

Enrollment & timing

Employers Moved 1.2 Million Retirees Out of Medicare Advantage Drug Plans in 2026, First Decline Since 2010

Employer-sponsored Medicare Advantage drug plan enrollment fell by 1.2 million people in 2026, the first year-over-year drop since 2010, as employers shifted retirees into standalone drug plans at the fastest rate in more than a decade.

September 20, 2026

Enrollment & timing

Refugees and Asylees With Medicare Will Lose Coverage by February 1, 2027 Under a 2025 Law

A 2025 federal law restricts Medicare eligibility to citizens and permanent residents, ending coverage for refugees, asylees, and people with Temporary Protected Status. Those currently enrolled will lose coverage no later than February 1, 2027, and Medicare Rights Center this week urged CMS to ease the transition.

September 18, 2026

Enrollment & timing

Non-Renewal Notices for Expiring 2027 Medicare Plans Must Arrive by October 2, Opening Special Enrollment Rights

Federal rules require Medicare Advantage and drug plans that will not be offered next year to mail members a written notice by October 2. That letter triggers a special enrollment period and, in some cases, a guaranteed right to purchase Medigap coverage without health screening.

September 14, 2026

Enrollment & timing

The 2027 Medicare and You Handbook Is Being Mailed This Month. Here Is What to Do When It Arrives.

CMS mails the official Medicare handbook to all Medicare households in late September each year, landing a few weeks before open enrollment opens October 15. The 2027 edition arrives at a moment when drug plan costs and Medicare Advantage choices are shifting noticeably.

September 9, 2026

Enrollment & timing

Non-Renewal Notices Are Arriving This Fall. Here Is What to Do if Your Medicare Advantage Plan Is Not Coming Back in 2027.

Hundreds of thousands of Medicare Advantage members are receiving letters saying their plans will end at year-close. Federal rules give affected beneficiaries clear options, but there is a deadline to act.

September 8, 2026