Medicare Advantage

Before AEP ends Dec. 7: check your Charlotte plan

People in Charlotte can choose from 79 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 94 this year. 19 of this year's plans are gone, 14 are new to Mecklenburg County, and 18 that continue have changed something in their terms, 10 of them under a new name.

Medicare AdvantageCharlotte, NC

CHARLOTTE — As the fall enrollment window opens, people on Medicare Advantage in and around Charlotte will see a noticeably different lineup for 2027. In Mecklenburg County, 19 plans are leaving after 2026, 14 new plans are coming in, 10 are being renamed, and one new carrier — Alignment Health Plan — is entering the market.

If your plan is on the leaving list, you don't have to scramble, but you do have to act. Here's what's changing, and the steps that protect your coverage.

What's changing in Mecklenburg County next year

Charlotte is in Mecklenburg County, where Medicare plan availability is set. For 2027, the county picture looks like this:

• Plans leaving after 2026: 19
• New plans for 2027: 14
• Plans renamed: 10
• Continuing plans with a change to premium, deductible, plan type or name: 18
• Continuing plans with no such change: 65
• New carrier entering the county: Alignment Health Plan

The table on this page lists every plan available in the county. Below, we've named the plans that are leaving, the plans that are new, and the ones being renamed, so you can quickly find yours.

Plans not returning after Dec. 31, 2026

If you're enrolled in any of these, coverage under that plan ends when 2026 ends. Watch your mail for a non-renewal notice from your carrier.

• Aetna Medicare Signature Care (HMO)
• Blue Medicare Choice (HMO)
• HealthSpring Preferred Plus (HMO)
• HealthSpring Preferred Select (HMO)
• Wellcare Dual Access (HMO-POS D-SNP)
• Wellcare Giveback Open (PPO)
• HumanaChoice H5525-050 (PPO)
• HumanaChoice H5525-083 (PPO)
• Provider Partners North Carolina Community Plan (HMO I-SNP)
• Provider Partners North Carolina Essential Plan (HMO I-SNP)
• AARP Medicare Advantage Access from UHC NC-23 (PPO)
• Erickson Advantage Champion (HMO-POS C-SNP)
• Erickson Advantage Freedom (HMO-POS)
• Erickson Advantage Guardian (HMO-POS I-SNP)
• Erickson Advantage Liberty (HMO-POS)
• Erickson Advantage Liberty no Rx (HMO-POS)
• Erickson Advantage Signature (HMO-POS)
• UHC Dual Complete NC-D001 (HMO-POS D-SNP)
• UHC Dual Complete NC-S3 (HMO-POS D-SNP)

Note: Provider Partners is bringing back plans using the same "Community Plan" and "Essential Plan" names for 2027, and UnitedHealthcare is using the "UHC Dual Complete NC-S3" name again. These are filed as separate 2027 plans and may not be identical to the 2026 versions, so review the new plan documents carefully.

Plans new for 2027

Alignment Health Plan is entering Mecklenburg County with several new plans. Devoted Health, Humana, Provider Partners and UnitedHealthcare are also adding plans:

• Alignment Health Duals+ 004 (HMO-POS D-SNP)
• Alignment Health Heart & Diabetes 011 (HMO C-SNP)
• Alignment Health Heart & Diabetes Plus 009 (HMO-POS C-SNP)
• Alignment Health Platinum 012 (HMO)
• Alignment Health Smart 013 (HMO)
• DEVOTED C-SNP GIVEBACK EXTRAS 031 NC (HMO C-SNP)
• DEVOTED CORE 037 NC (HMO)
• DEVOTED GIVEBACK EXTRAS 039 NC (HMO)
• Humana Gold Plus Giveback H1036-343 (HMO-POS)
• HumanaChoice H7617-122 (PPO)
• Provider Partners North Carolina Community Plan (HMO I-SNP)
• Provider Partners North Carolina Essential Plan (HMO I-SNP)
• UHC Dual Complete NC-Q2 (HMO-POS D-SNP)
• UHC Dual Complete NC-S3 (HMO-POS D-SNP)

Plans that are being renamed

The plan itself is continuing, just under a new name. If yours is on this list, you don't need to switch — but the name on your new ID card and paperwork will be different.

• Aetna Medicare Eagle (PPO) — was Aetna Medicare Eagle Giveback (PPO)
• Aetna Medicare Full Dual (HMO D-SNP) — was Aetna Medicare Dual (HMO D-SNP)
• Wellcare Carolina Complete Dual Liberty (HMO-POS D-SNP) — was Wellcare Dual Liberty (HMO-POS D-SNP)
• Wellcare Carolina Complete Dual Liberty Open (PPO D-SNP) — was Wellcare Dual Liberty Open (PPO D-SNP)
• Wellcare Carolina Complete Dual Reserve (HMO-POS D-SNP) — was Wellcare Dual Reserve (HMO-POS D-SNP)
• DEVOTED C-SNP ENHANCED 016 NC (HMO C-SNP) — was DEVOTED C-SNP PREMIUM 016 NC (HMO C-SNP)
• Humana Full Access (Regional PPO) — was Humana Full Access R0110-005 (Regional PPO)
• AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC NC-15 (HMO-POS) — was AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC NC-0015 (HMO-POS)
• UHC Dual Advantage NC-V1 (HMO-POS D-SNP) — was UHC Dual Complete NC-V001 (HMO-POS D-SNP)
• UHC Dual Complete NC-Q1 (PPO D-SNP) — was UHC Dual Complete NC-S001 (PPO D-SNP)

Plans that are continuing but changed

Eighteen plans that are staying in the county for 2027 have at least one change on file — that could be premium, deductible, plan type or name. Your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), mailed in September, spells out exactly what is different for your plan. Read it before you decide to renew automatically.

What to do — by situation

If your plan is leaving. You have two ways to get new coverage:

• Use the Annual Enrollment Period (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7) to pick a new Medicare Advantage plan, or return to Original Medicare and add a Part D drug plan.
• If you miss that window, you also get a Special Enrollment Period through the end of February because your plan wasn't renewed. That gives you extra time to choose.

If you take no action, you'll be moved to Original Medicare on Jan. 1, 2027 — which does not include drug coverage on its own.

If your plan was renamed. Confirm the new name matches your plan number on your ID card. Doctors and pharmacies may need the updated information.

If your plan is continuing with changes. Read the ANOC. Check the premium, drug list (formulary), pharmacy network and provider network for 2027. If something important changed, you can switch during the Annual Enrollment Period.

If your plan is continuing unchanged. You don't have to do anything — but it's still smart to compare, especially if your medications or doctors have changed.

A few program figures worth knowing

These are program-wide, not plan-specific, and they apply to Part D drug coverage next year:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 in 2026.
• Part D maximum deductible: $615.
• The old coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone as of 2025 — Part D now has three phases.