Medicare Advantage

Durham's 2027 Medicare Advantage lineup: 6 new plans, 11 leaving, 1 carrier out

For 2027, Durham is looking at 69 Medicare Advantage plans: 6 new, 11 gone since 2026, and 25 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 9 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Durham County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

Durham, N.C. — The 2027 Medicare Advantage picture in Durham County is coming into focus, and it looks a lot like 2026 with some pointed exceptions. Six plans are new for the coming year, 11 will not return, nine have been renamed, and one carrier — Experience Health — is leaving the county altogether. The rest of the lineup, 54 plans in all, continues from 2026. Anyone enrolled today should see the specifics in the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) mailed by their plan this fall.

The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and any choice you make during that window takes effect January 1, 2027. If you do nothing and your plan is offered next year, it renews automatically with the updates described in your ANOC.

How many Medicare Advantage plans are offered in Durham County for 2027?

Durham is in Durham County, where 12 carriers will offer 74 Medicare Advantage plans for the 2027 plan year. By plan type, that's 25 HMOs, 19 HMO-POS plans and 30 PPOs. Twenty-eight are Special Needs Plans (SNPs) built for people with Medicaid, certain chronic conditions, or who live in a nursing home. Sixty-four of the 74 plans include Part D drug coverage.

The carriers serving Durham County in 2027 are Aetna (CVS Health), Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC), Centene (WellCare), HealthTeam Advantage, Humana, Liberty Medicare Advantage, Longevity Health Plan, PruittHealth Premier, Troy Medicare and UnitedHealthcare. The table below lists every plan by carrier.

Which Medicare Advantage plans are new in Durham County for 2027?

Six plans are new to Durham County for 2027. In alphabetical order by carrier, they are:

• Humana — Humana Gold Plus Giveback H1036-343 (HMO-POS); Humana Gold Plus H1036-137 (HMO-POS); HumanaChoice H7617-122 (PPO)
• PruittHealth Premier — PruittHealth Premier (HMO I-SNP), an Institutional SNP for nursing home residents
• UnitedHealthcare — UHC Dual Complete NC-Q2 (HMO-POS D-SNP); UHC Dual Complete NC-S3 (HMO-POS D-SNP)

A "new" plan simply means it's offered in the county for the first time next year. New doesn't mean better or worse — it means you'd need to compare it on its own benefits, provider network and drug list through the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov.

Which plans are not returning to Durham County in 2027?

Eleven plans will not be offered in Durham County for 2027, and one carrier — Experience Health — is leaving the county entirely. The plans not returning, by carrier:

• Aetna (CVS Health) — Aetna Medicare Signature Care (HMO)
• Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC) — HealthSpring Preferred Plus (HMO); HealthSpring Preferred Select (HMO)
• Centene (WellCare) — Wellcare Dual Access (HMO-POS D-SNP); Wellcare Giveback Open (PPO)
• Experience Health — Experience Health Medicare Advantage (HMO)
• Humana — HumanaChoice H5525-050 (PPO); HumanaChoice H5525-083 (PPO)
• UnitedHealthcare — AARP Medicare Advantage Access from UHC NC-23 (PPO); UHC Dual Complete NC-D001 (HMO-POS D-SNP); UHC Dual Complete NC-S3 (HMO-POS D-SNP)

If you're in one of these, your plan will send a non-renewal notice this fall. You won't lose Medicare — only that particular plan goes away December 31, 2026.

What happens if my Durham plan is leaving in 2027?

If your Medicare Advantage plan is not being offered in Durham County in 2027, you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period that runs December 8, 2026 through February 28, 2027. During that SEP, you can:

• Choose another Medicare Advantage plan offered in the county, or
• Return to Original Medicare (Parts A and B) and add a standalone Part D drug plan.

If you move back to Original Medicare, you may also want to look at a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy. In North Carolina, Medigap pricing and underwriting rules can affect what's available to you outside of your initial six-month Medigap open enrollment window, so compare carefully. For a step-by-step walkthrough of your options, call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048) or use medicare.gov.

Which Durham plans were renamed for 2027?

Nine plans in Durham County are keeping their contracts but changing names for 2027. A rename on its own doesn't mean benefits changed — but it's a cue to read the ANOC closely. The renamed plans:

• 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)
• 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)

CMS also flags 16 plans in the county as changing on something — premium, deductible, plan type or name — between 2026 and 2027. Your ANOC spells out exactly what changed.

What Medicare costs are confirmed for 2027?

CMS has confirmed two Part D numbers for 2027:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap will be $2,400 in 2027, up from $2,100 in 2026.
• The Part D maximum deductible will be $700 in 2027, up from $615 in 2026.
• The Part D national base beneficiary premium is $41.33 for 2027. That's a formula number used behind the scenes; it is not what any individual plan charges.

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, have not yet been announced. CMS typically publishes those in the fall, often in November. We'll update coverage when they're released.