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Significant changes in the 2023 Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plan (SNP) landscape

Annual Medicare plan changes · published Oct 4, 2022

Special Needs Plans (SNPs) are a type of Medicare Advantage plan with plan benefits, healthcare provider choices, and drug formularies (list of covered drugs) designed to accommodate the needs of a particular group of people meeting certain requirements - such as people suffering from a chronic condition or illness (example, diabetics or a chronic cardiac conditions) or nursing home residents or people who have limited financial resources (example, people eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid).

The Big Picture:   Changes again in the national SNP landscape resulting in more 2023 SNP options.

First, based on our analysis, the bad news is that about 14% of the 2022 Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans (SNPs) will be discontinued in 2023 — this is consistent with the change from 2021 to 2022.

However, the good news is a large number of new 2023 Medicare Advantage SNPs will be introduced - and with these newly released SNPs, we will actually see a 11% increase in the total nationwide 2023 SNP landscape, and a 13% increase in chronic care SNPs (c-SNPs).  The vast majority of SNPs remains Dual-Eligible (D-SNPs) (61%). 

Across the country, we will see an increase in the total number of 2023 Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans (SNPs); and SNP gains in some counties will more than offset SNP losses in other areas (or even the same counties).  You can see plan year 2022 to 2023 SNP gains and losses with our Medicare Advantage plan comparison tool MA-Compare found at MA-Compare.com.

The types of 2023 Special Needs Plans

SNPs are divided into three major types of special need:
  • Chronic Care SNPs or C-SNPs (like diabetes, heart disease, or ESRD),

  • Dual-Eligible Medicare/Medicaid SNPs or D-SNPs (for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries), and

  • Institutional SNPs (for Nursing and Long-Term Care (LTC) residents).
From the 2023 Medicare Advantage plan information, there are a total of 1,284 Special Needs Plans available across the country in 2023.  And as can be seen below, the vast majority of SNPs are D-SNPs designed for people eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.
2023 Special Needs Medicare Advantage Plans
by Type of Special Need
SNP Type 2023 Plans 2022 Plans Net Change* % Net Change Dropped Plans* % of '22 SNPs Dropped 2021 Plans 2020 Plans
Chronic Illness 306 272 34 13% 40 15% 203 165
Dual Eligible 789 700 89 13% 85 12% 598 540
Institutional 189 184 5 3% 32 17% 174 150
Total 1,284 1,156 128 11% 157 14% 975 855

The chart below summarizes the 2023 Special Needs Plan landscape and how the SNP landscape has changed over the years.

Showing the different types of Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans (SNPs) over the years

You can learn more about the 2023 SNPs available in your area by using our Medicare Advantage plan finder (MA-Finder.com/2023) or add your ZIP code to the MA-Finder.com link to see plans in your area (MA-Finder.com/2023/90001).

To get you started, here is an example of all 2023 Special Needs Plans available in Allegheny County, PA.

Please note, if you are using our MA-Finder and looking for a Dual-Eligible Medicare/Medicaid SNP (D-SNP), be sure to indicate "100%" for the "LIS Subsidy Amount" to see the actual D-SNP monthly premiums for full dual-eligible Medicare/Medicaid beneficiaries. Question:  In which counties can we find the most SNPs?

As in past years, the most Special Needs Plans are available within a few counties located in New York, Florida, and California.

Counties with the Largest Number of
2023 Special Needs Plans
Locations SNPs
Miami-Dade County, FL 55
Hillsborough County, FL 55
Broward County, FL 54
Pinellas County, FL 53
Palm Beach County, FL 52
Orange County, FL 51
Pasco County, FL 51
Polk County, FL 51
Seminole County, FL 49
Osceola County, FL 48
Bronx County, NY 47
Kings County, NY 47

A closer look at the types of 2023 Chronic Care SNPs (C-SNPs)

Medicare Advantage Chronic Care Special Needs Plans can be further divided into the type of chronic care that the plan is designed to address - and the specific types of chronic conditions addressed by the SNPs varies slightly year-to-year, with a notable increase in "Cardiovascular Disorders, Chronic Heart Failure and Diabetes" SNPs. 

2023 Special Needs – Chronic Care Plans
Compared to the 2022 Plan Year
Chronic Care Number of SNPs
2023 Plans 2022 Plans Net Change 2021 Plans 2020 Plans
Cardiovascular Disorders 1 1 0 1 0
Cardiovascular Disorders and Chronic Heart Failure 22 20 2 14 10
Cardiovascular Disorders and Diabetes 5 4 1 6 2
Cardiovascular Disorders, Chronic Heart Failure and Diabetes 164 141 23 93 67
Chronic and Disabling Mental Health Conditions 2 5 -3 3 2
Cardiovascular Disorders or Chronic Heart Failure or Diabetes Mellitus 5 3 2 3 2
Chronic Heart Failure 3 3 0 3 1
Chronic Heart Failure and Diabetes 2 4 -2 3 6
Chronic Lung Disorders 35 29 6 23 16
Dementia 6 8 -2 7 8
Diabetes Mellitus 36 34 2 34 37
End-stage Renal Disease Requiring Dialysis (any mode of dialysis) 23 17 6 9 10
End-stage Renal Disease Requiring Dialysis or HIV/AIDS 3 3 0 0 0
HIV/AIDS 3 3 0 4 4
Total Chronic Illness SNPs 310 275 35 203 165

Changes within the SNP county-specific landscape

When comparing SNP reach (SNP plan multiplied by counties in the plan’s service area) we see an overall increase in plan reach.  There is a notable increase in both dual-eligible and chronic care SNPs and a small increase in the number of institutional SNPs.

2023 Special Needs Plan Reach
by Type of Need
SNP Type 2023 2022 Change '22 to '23 Percent Change '22 to '23 2021 2020 2013
Chronic Care 4,566 3,437 1,129 33% 2,667 2,364 6,402
Dual Eligible 24,789 18,831 5,958 32% 15,235 11,930 5,284
Institutional 3,410 3,122 288 9% 2,441 1,906 537
Total 32,765 25,390 7,375 29% 20,343 16,200 12,223


Important Reminder:  A Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plan (SNP) is not for everyone.

Often you will find a Medicare Advantage SNP in your area that is very well-priced with feature-rich benefits and an extensive drug formulary - making the plan a very appealing coverage option.

But, please remember that you cannot join (or remain in) a Medicare Advantage SNP unless you qualify for the plan’s “Special Need” - that is, SNPs are designed for people with specific conditions, diseases, or characteristics -- and you must meet (and continue to meet) the plan's "Special Need" to be eligible for enrollment.

For example, if you do not qualify for your state's Medicaid program, you will not be eligible to join a Dual-Eligible (Medicare/Medicaid) SNP.   For more information about qualifying for a SNP, please contact a local SHIP volunteer or telephone a Medicare representative at 1-800-Medicare." class="textred">and continue to meet) the plan's "Special Need" to be eligible for enrollment.

For example, if you do not qualify for your state's Medicaid program, you will not be eligible to join a Dual-Eligible (Medicare/Medicaid) SNP.   For more information about qualifying for a SNP, please contact a local SHIP volunteer or telephone a Medicare representative at 1-800-Medicare.