Medicare Advantage

Wellcare's 2027 Medicare Advantage lineup in Durham: 7 plans, 2 gone, 3 renamed

DURHAM, N.C. — Fall 2026. If you have a Wellcare Medicare Advantage plan in Durham, or you are weighing one for next year, the carrier's local lineup is shifting. For plan year 2027, Wellcare is offering 7 Medicare Advantage plans in Durham County — down from 9 this year — with three plans carrying new names and two not returning. The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and anything you change in that window takes effect January 1, 2027.

MyMedicarePlans.org is an independent news and education site. We are not Wellcare, and Wellcare is one of 11 carriers offering Medicare Advantage plans in Durham County next year (69 plans in all). This article walks through only Wellcare's slice so you can see exactly what it is selling in Durham for 2027.

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

Wellcare is offering 7 Medicare Advantage plans in Durham County for plan year 2027. By plan type, that breaks down to 3 HMO-POS plans and 4 PPO plans. Three of the seven are Dual-eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs), designed for people who have both Medicare and full Medicaid. Six include Part D prescription drug coverage; one PPO is offered without drug coverage.

Durham sits inside Durham County, and Medicare plan availability is set at the county level, so every Durham resident sees the same Wellcare menu. The full plan-by-plan table on this page lists each one by name and type.

Which Wellcare plans are new, renamed, or not returning in Durham County for 2027?

For 2027 in Durham County, Wellcare is not launching any new Medicare Advantage plans, is retiring 2 plans from its 2026 lineup, and has renamed 3 continuing plans. The three renamed plans are the D-SNPs now branded "Carolina Complete":

• 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)

A rename is more than a label swap in some cases: benefits, cost sharing, networks and drug lists can change too. The Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) that Wellcare mails to current members in September spells out exactly what is different for your plan next year. If you cannot find your copy, you can request one from the carrier directly.

The two plans not returning for 2027 are no longer available for enrollment on January 1. If you are in one of them, Wellcare will send a non-renewal notice telling you the plan is ending, and you have a Special Enrollment Period to pick something else. Doing nothing means losing that plan's coverage, so this is one case where it pays to open the mail.

What kinds of plans is Wellcare offering in Durham for 2027?

Wellcare's 2027 Durham lineup splits into three buckets:

• HMO-POS plans (3): Health maintenance organization plans with a point-of-service option. These usually ask you to use an in-network primary care doctor and get referrals, with limited out-of-network coverage for certain services.
• PPO plans (4): Preferred provider organization plans. These generally let you see out-of-network providers at a higher cost and typically don't require referrals.
• D-SNPs (3 of the above): Dual-eligible Special Needs Plans, only for people who have both Medicare and full Medicaid. Three of Wellcare's 2027 plans in Durham County fall into this category; it has no C-SNPs (chronic condition) or I-SNPs (institutional) here.

Six of the seven plans bundle Part D drug coverage. One PPO is a "medical-only" plan without drug coverage — if you enroll in that one and want prescription coverage, you generally cannot add a stand-alone Part D plan to a Medicare Advantage plan that includes drug coverage, so your options are different. Call 1-800-MEDICARE before you decide.

How do I check a Wellcare plan against my doctors and prescriptions before December 7?

The fastest, most accurate way is the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov/plan-compare. You can enter your ZIP code, add your prescription drugs with dosages, and add your doctors and preferred pharmacies. Plan Finder then shows you, side by side, which Durham County plans cover each drug, what tier it falls on, and whether a provider is in network for a given plan.

A short checklist before you commit:

1. Pull your ANOC. If you have a Wellcare plan now, read the Annual Notice of Change for 2027. Pay attention to any renamed plan — the "Carolina Complete" rebrand means a different plan ID. 2. Confirm every doctor. Networks can change year to year. Call each provider's office and ask whether they will accept the specific 2027 plan you are considering. 3. Price your drugs. Run each prescription through Plan Finder. In 2027, Part D out-of-pocket costs are capped at $2,400 for the year (up from $2,100 in 2026), and the maximum Part D deductible is $700 (up from $615 in 2026). 4. Check your pharmacy. Preferred vs. standard pharmacy status affects what you pay. 5. Ask about extras. Dental, vision, hearing, fitness and over-the-counter benefits vary by plan. Verify the specifics in the plan's Summary of Benefits or Evidence of Coverage.

If you want help from a human, call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

What happens if I do nothing by December 7, 2026?

If your current Wellcare plan is being offered again in 2027, you stay enrolled automatically with the 2027 changes described in your ANOC. If your plan is one of the two Wellcare plans not returning, Wellcare will notify you in writing and you will need to pick another plan — you will have a Special Enrollment Period to do so, but you should not wait until the last minute.

Also keep in mind two 2027 figures CMS has not yet published: the Part B standard premium and deductible, and the IRMAA income brackets for higher earners. CMS typically announces these in the fall, usually November. The 2027 Part D national base beneficiary premium is $41.33 — that is a formula input, not what any specific plan charges.