HonorHealth, the nine-hospital health system in the Phoenix area, says that as of January 1, 2027 all of its employed physicians, specialists and facilities will be out of network for AZ Blue Best Life (HMO), a Medicare Advantage plan from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona. AZ Blue had already removed HonorHealth primary care doctors from the plan on July 1, 2026.
The change applies only to that one plan. HonorHealth’s insurance notice says it “continues to be in network with all other Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona plans.”
Do Best Life HMO members need a different plan for 2027?
Anyone on AZ Blue Best Life (HMO) who sees an HonorHealth doctor, or expects to use an HonorHealth hospital, has a decision to make before the Medicare enrollment window closes on December 7. Staying put means a plan whose network will no longer include that system on January 1. Switching means picking another Medicare Advantage plan, or returning to Original Medicare, with doctors and prescriptions checked first.
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Medicare’s fall open enrollment runs October 15 through December 7, according to Medicare.gov. During that window people can join, drop or switch a Medicare Advantage plan, or move between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage. Changes generally take effect January 1 of the next year.
That leaves three basic paths. A member can stay on Best Life HMO and accept the network change, switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan that still includes HonorHealth, or move to Original Medicare. The same Medicare.gov page points to its plan comparison tool at Medicare.gov/plan-compare, where plans in a given area can be lined up side by side.
A second chance comes after the new year. Medicare.gov says the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 through March 31 for people already in a Medicare Advantage plan, who can switch plans or return to Original Medicare. By then the HonorHealth exit will already be in effect.
What HonorHealth says happens between now and January 1
HonorHealth’s page for AZ Blue members says its specialists, hospitals and outpatient facilities remain in the AZ Blue Medicare Advantage network through December 31, 2026, unless AZ Blue sends a different notice. Primary care visits are another matter. Since July 1, 2026, HonorHealth says those visits are no longer treated as in network, while care on or before June 30 stays covered.
HonorHealth also says the decision was made by AZ Blue and was outside its control. Members who stay on the plan may be assigned a new in-network primary care provider by AZ Blue.
A special window to change plans because of the split was open through July 31, 2026. That window has closed, which leaves the fall enrollment period as the main time to move before the exit.
HonorHealth says additional information will be shared ahead of the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period, which it dates as October 15 through December 7, 2026. The special window it described earlier let members change Medicare health plans or return to Original Medicare, which is the same set of choices the fall period offers.
Who may qualify for continuity of care
HonorHealth says some members may qualify for continuity-of-care benefits, meaning a way to keep seeing a doctor who is leaving the network for a period. Its list covers people scheduled for non-elective surgery and people being treated for serious, complex or potentially disabling conditions, pregnancy, inpatient services, terminal illness or post-operative care from non-elective surgery.
The page points members to AZ Blue Member Services at 480-937-0409 in Arizona or 800-446-8331, open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with TTY users dialing 711. It also lists Medicare at 800-633-4227 and the Arizona State Health Insurance Assistance Program at 602-542-4446 or 800-432-4040.
Medical records can move to a new provider through CareLink, or members can request them directly from HonorHealth. The page advises checking coverage with the plan before any visit, either through the insurance lookup on HonorHealth.com or with the carrier. It also lists five licensed insurance brokers by area of the Valley, with phone numbers, for members who want a person to walk through plan options.
Prescriptions deserve the same check as doctors. A plan that keeps a favorite hospital can still cost more if a daily medicine lands in a higher tier, so the comparison has to cover drugs, doctors and monthly premium together before the December 7 deadline.
Where HonorHealth’s other Blue plans stand
Most Blue Cross Blue Shield members are not caught up in this. HonorHealth’s home page describes a nonprofit system with 9 hospitals and clinics across the Phoenix metro area, and its Blue Cross Blue Shield update says the two sides agreed to a new contract, posted July 31, 2025, covering a long list of networks and plans.
The open question is narrow. For Best Life HMO members the practical test is whether the doctors, hospital and prescriptions they use will be covered under the plan they hold on January 1, 2027, and what that costs.
On AZ Blue Best Life with HonorHealth doctors?
The detail that gets missed is the date. The plan change locks in for 2027 when open enrollment closes on December 7, and the HonorHealth exit takes effect January 1, 2027. A member who waits to see what January brings is left with whatever plan is already in place.
The 2027 Medicare Open Enrollment Decision Kit puts that choice on paper. It includes a cost calculator spreadsheet that compares plans on cost, drugs and doctors, a provider call script for asking whether a doctor will be in network, and the Open Enrollment calendar. The prescription-by-plan comparison lines up each medicine against each plan, so a switch is made with the numbers in front of the member.
Get the plan cost calculator and provider call script for the HonorHealth exit →
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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
