What is a dual special needs plan (D-SNP)?

A dual special needs plan is a type of health insurance plan. It’s for people who have both Medicaid and Medicare. If that’s you, you’re “dual-eligible.” (That’s just another way of saying you can have Medicaid and Medicare at the same time).

Dual special needs plans are for people who could use some extra help. That may be because of income, disabilities, age and/or health conditions. Dual plans are a type of Medicare Advantage plan. Dual special needs plans are also called DSNP for short. These names all mean the same thing. 

A dual special needs plan works together with your Medicaid health plan. You’ll keep all your Medicaid benefits. Most dual plans also give you more benefits and features than you get with Original Medicare. All for a $0 plan premium.

Care coordination is another big benefit you get with a dual special needs plan. You’ll have a personal care coordinator. That’s someone who can help you:

• Understand your Medicaid and Medicare benefits.
• Manage your doctors, specialists and care services.
• Get the services you need to feel as healthy as you can.

Dual special needs plans are offered by private insurance companies. That includes UnitedHealthcare. We call our dual-eligible health plans UnitedHealthcare Dual Complete®. We’ve been serving people with special heath care needs for more than 40 years. And we serve more dual-eligible members in more states than any other health care company.¹

_{1 Based on national market share, as of 2019}