New Medicaid/Medicare Advantage Plans for 2026

Let's talk about one of the biggest changes coming to Medicare during the Annual Enrollment Period this year. For the first time, Dual-eligible Special Needs Plans (otherwise known as D-SNPs) will be available in Illinois. D-SNPs are new Medicare Advantage plans for individuals who are eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare. Illinois is replacing their Medicare and Medicaid Alignment Initiative program and with DSNPs as of January 1^st , 2026. Only 4 carriers were awarded contracts in Illinois, which are Aetna, Humana, Meridian and Molina Healthcare. If you are on a MMAI plan, you should be reaching out to a broker like me to find the best plan for you for the upcoming year. The Annual Enrollment Period begins October 15 and ends December 7^th and you can apply for these plans then to go into effect for 2026. If you have any questions, please reach out!