Medicare Advantage

Medicare and Medicaid in Charlotte: the D-SNPs available in Mecklenburg County for 2027

People in Charlotte can choose from 89 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 94 this year. 19 of this year’s plans are gone, 14 are new to Mecklenburg County, and 28 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 10 of them under a new name.

Charlotte, N.C. — Fall 2026. For the roughly one in five North Carolinians who have both Medicare and Medicaid, the 2027 plan year brings a slightly bigger menu of Dual Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) in Mecklenburg County, with two brand-new plans joining the lineup and several familiar ones carrying new names. If you are "dual eligible" — enrolled in both programs — this is the kind of plan designed to pull your two cards together under one roof.

Here is what is on the table in Charlotte for 2027, who qualifies, and how often you can change your mind.

What a D-SNP is, in plain English

A Dual Special Needs Plan is a type of Medicare Advantage plan built for people who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. Every D-SNP in Mecklenburg County includes prescription drug coverage, and most coordinate your Medicare benefits with the Medicaid benefits North Carolina already provides.

The plan does not replace your Medicaid — it works alongside it. Medicaid continues to help with things Medicare does not fully cover, such as long-term services and supports, and (depending on your dual status) your Medicare cost-sharing.

Who counts as "dual eligible"

To join a D-SNP you need Medicare (Parts A and B) and some form of Medicaid help from the state. North Carolina Medicaid groups duals into categories that generally fall into two buckets:

• Full-benefit dual eligible. You have Medicare and full North Carolina Medicaid benefits.
• Partial-benefit dual eligible. You have Medicare, and Medicaid helps pay some Medicare costs (for example, through a Medicare Savings Program) but you do not get full Medicaid benefits.

Each D-SNP is approved to serve specific categories of duals. A plan labeled "Full Dual," for instance, is written for people in the full-benefit group. Your state Medicaid agency (NC Medicaid) is the office that confirms your category. If you are not sure where you stand, call NC Medicaid or 1-800-MEDICARE before you shop.

The 2027 D-SNP lineup in Mecklenburg County

For 2027, Mecklenburg County has 23 D-SNPs from 9 carriers, part of a broader Special Needs Plan menu that also includes 10 Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs) and 6 Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs). The full table of plans is below; the carriers offering D-SNPs are, in alphabetical order:

• Aetna (CVS Health) — 2 D-SNPs, including Aetna Medicare Full Dual (HMO D-SNP), which is renamed for 2027 (previously Aetna Medicare Dual), and Aetna Medicare Full Dual Care (HMO D-SNP).
• Alignment Health Plan — 1 D-SNP, Alignment Health Duals+ 004 (HMO-POS D-SNP), new for 2027.
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina — 1 D-SNP, Healthy Blue + Medicare (HMO-POS D-SNP).
• Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC) — 2 D-SNPs: HealthSpring TotalCare (HMO D-SNP) and HealthSpring TotalCare Plus (HMO D-SNP).
• Centene (WellCare) — 3 D-SNPs, all renamed for 2027: Wellcare Carolina Complete Dual Liberty (HMO-POS D-SNP), Wellcare Carolina Complete Dual Liberty Open (PPO D-SNP), and Wellcare Carolina Complete Dual Reserve (HMO-POS D-SNP).
• Devoted Health — 3 D-SNPs: DEVOTED DUAL 009 NC, DEVOTED DUAL FULL 013 NC, and DEVOTED DUAL PLUS 006 NC (all HMO D-SNPs).
• Humana — 5 D-SNPs: Humana Dual Select H1036-307 (HMO D-SNP), Humana Dual Select H5525-072 (PPO D-SNP), Humana Gold Plus SNP-DE H1036-167 (HMO D-SNP), Humana Gold Plus SNP-DE H1036-331 (HMO D-SNP), and HumanaChoice SNP-DE H5525-036 (PPO D-SNP).
• Liberty Medicare Advantage — 1 D-SNP, Liberty Medicare Dual Plan (HMO D-SNP).
• UnitedHealthcare — 5 D-SNPs: UHC Dual Advantage NC-V1 (HMO-POS D-SNP, renamed), UHC Dual Complete NC-Q1 (PPO D-SNP, renamed), UHC Dual Complete NC-Q2 (HMO-POS D-SNP, new for 2027), UHC Dual Complete NC-S2 (PPO D-SNP), and UHC Dual Complete NC-S3 (HMO-POS D-SNP, new for 2027).

Benefits, provider networks, and drug lists differ from plan to plan — those details live in each plan's Summary of Benefits and Evidence of Coverage, and on the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov.

How often a dual-eligible person can change plans

Most people with Medicare make plan changes during the Annual Enrollment Period, Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026, with the new coverage starting Jan. 1, 2027. People with Medicare Advantage also have the Jan. 1 – March 31 Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period for one more change.

Dual eligibles have additional flexibility. In general, if you have Medicaid or qualify for Extra Help, you get a monthly Special Enrollment Period that lets you:

• join an integrated D-SNP, or
• drop a Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare with a stand-alone drug plan.

The specific rules on how often, and which switches qualify, have been tightening in recent years. Before you make a change, call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048) or check medicare.gov to confirm the current window that applies to you.

How to confirm your eligibility

A few steps are worth taking before you shop:

1. Confirm your Medicaid status with NC Medicaid (ncdhhs.gov/medicaid) or by calling the number on your Medicaid card. Ask whether you are full-benefit or partial-benefit dual eligible. 2. Check your Medicare status at medicare.gov or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE. 3. Compare D-SNPs on the Medicare Plan Finder. Enter your ZIP code, your prescriptions, and your providers. The tool will show which D-SNPs in Mecklenburg County accept your dual category. 4. Read the ANOC your current plan mailed in September 2026. It spells out what is changing on Jan. 1.

A few 2027 numbers to keep in mind

A couple of program-wide figures apply no matter which D-SNP you choose:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026).
• The Part D maximum deductible is $700 in 2027 (up from $615 in 2026). Many duals pay little or nothing at the pharmacy thanks to Extra Help, but the ceiling still frames the program.
• The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, have not been announced yet. CMS typically publishes them later in the fall.