Medicare Advantage

Compare 179 North Carolina Medicare Advantage Plans for 2027 From 16 Carriers

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolinians who want to review their Medicare Advantage coverage for 2027 have a defined window to do it. The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and any plan a person picks during those dates takes effect January 1, 2027. According to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files for 2027, 179 Medicare Advantage plans are offered somewhere in the state next year, spread across 16 carriers. Which of those plans a given resident can actually enroll in depends on their county.

The statewide numbers for 2027

For plan year 2027, CMS lists 179 Medicare Advantage plans available in North Carolina, offered by 16 carriers. Every one of those 179 plans includes prescription drug coverage.

Year over year, the lineup is shifting. 33 plans are new for 2027, and 29 plans that were offered in 2026 are not returning for 2027. That matters at the kitchen-table level: a plan that was available last year in a particular county may not be on the 2027 shelf, and a plan that didn't exist last year may be. It's one reason comparing is a yearly habit, not a one-time project.

The statewide totals describe the full menu. The menu in any given county — Mecklenburg, Wake, Buncombe, Robeson, Dare, Cherokee — will be shorter. The Medicare Plan Finder narrows it down by ZIP code.

Plan types and Special Needs Plans

Of the 179 plans, the type breakdown statewide is:

• HMO: 76
• HMO-POS: 46
• PPO: 56
• PFFS: 1

The differences among these plan types are mostly about how a plan handles networks and referrals. An HMO typically uses a defined network; an HMO-POS adds a point-of-service option; a PPO allows in- and out-of-network use under the plan's rules; a PFFS plan sets its own payment terms with providers.

North Carolina also has Special Needs Plans for people who meet specific criteria: 28 Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNP) for people with both Medicare and Medicaid, 21 Chronic Condition Special Needs Plans (C-SNP), and 10 Institutional Special Needs Plans (I-SNP). Eligibility rules apply, and a licensed resource or 1-800-MEDICARE can confirm whether a person qualifies.

The carriers offering plans for 2027

Sixteen carriers are on the 2027 North Carolina landscape. In alphabetical order with their statewide plan counts: Aetna (CVS Health) 21; Alignment Health Plan 8; AmeriHealth Caritas VIP Care 1; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina 14; Centene (WellCare) 7; Devoted Health 37; HealthSpring 13; HealthTeam Advantage 5; Humana 31; Liberty Medicare Advantage 3; Longevity Health Plan 1; NHC Advantage 2; Provider Partners Health Plans 3; PruittHealth Premier 2; Troy Medicare 2; and UnitedHealthcare 29. The full carrier and plan tables are rendered elsewhere on this page.

A larger plan count doesn't mean a carrier is "better" or that any of its plans are offered in a given county. It just means the carrier files more plan variations with CMS.

A step-by-step way to compare plans in your own county

Here is a practical sequence for anyone sitting down with their 2027 options:

1. Start with your doctors and hospitals. Make a short list of the providers you want to keep — primary care, specialists, the hospital system you prefer. For each plan you are considering, confirm those providers are in-network. Call the plan or check its online directory; directories can change during the year.

2. List your prescriptions. Write down each drug, the dose, and how often you take it. Each plan has its own formulary (drug list) with its own tiers and rules such as prior authorization or step therapy. The same drug can be handled differently by different plans.

3. Check your pharmacies. Plans assign pharmacies to network tiers, and your usual pharmacy may or may not be a preferred one under a given plan. Mail-order rules also vary.

4. Read your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). If you are already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, your current plan mailed you an ANOC in the fall of 2026. It explains what is changing for 2027. Read it before you decide whether to stay or switch — and remember, 29 plans are not returning for 2027.

5. Use the Medicare Plan Finder. At medicare.gov, the Plan Finder lets you enter your ZIP code and your drug list and see the plans available in your county, with each plan's own details. It is the official comparison tool.

6. Confirm Special Needs Plan eligibility if that applies. If you have both Medicare and Medicaid, a chronic condition, or live in a qualifying facility, ask whether a D-SNP, C-SNP, or I-SNP fits.

What to do before December 7

December 7, 2026 is the last day of the Annual Enrollment Period for coverage starting January 1, 2027. Between now and then, the useful work is simple:

• Gather your Medicare card, your prescription list, and your provider list.
• Read any mail from your current plan, especially the Annual Notice of Change.
• Open the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov and compare the plans available in your county for 2027.
• Write down the plan name and plan ID of anything you want to enroll in or keep.

If you make no changes, in most cases you stay in your current plan — as long as that plan is returning for 2027. If it isn't returning, you'll need to pick a new one or you may be moved to Original Medicare.

Free help

Help is free and available year-round. The official sources are:

• medicare.gov — the Medicare Plan Finder, plan details, and enrollment.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with TTY service.
• The plan's own Evidence of Coverage and provider and pharmacy directories, for the fine print on any specific plan.