Medicare Advantage

Before AEP: check your Fayetteville plan's mail

For 2027, Cumberland County is looking at 55 Medicare Advantage plans from 8 carriers: 8 new, 7 gone since 2026, and 16 continuing plans that changed something in their terms, with 9 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Cumberland County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

Medicare AdvantageFayetteville, NC

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — If you have a Medicare Advantage plan in the Fayetteville area, check your mail this fall. According to CMS's 2027 Medicare Advantage Landscape file, seven plans offered in Cumberland County this year will not be back in 2027, eight new plans are joining the market, and nine others are keeping the same plan but changing the name on the card. Fayetteville is in Cumberland County, where Medicare Advantage availability is set, so these changes apply to residents across the city and the surrounding county.

The Annual Enrollment Period runs Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, and this is the window to compare, switch or stay put. If your current plan is one of the ones leaving, you also have a Special Enrollment Period that runs through the end of February to pick a new plan without being stuck.

What "leaving," "new," and "renamed" mean

Every year CMS publishes a file showing which Medicare Advantage plans will be offered in each county. Comparing the 2026 file to the 2027 file tells us three things:

• Leaving: the plan will not be sold in Cumberland County in 2027. Current members must pick a new plan or return to Original Medicare.
• New: a plan being offered for the first time in the county in 2027.
• Renamed: the same plan contract is continuing but with a different name. Your coverage isn't ending, but the name on the card may change.

There are also 16 plans that CMS's file shows changing in some way for 2027. We can't tell you the specific dollar amounts here; your Annual Notice of Change, which plans mail by the end of September, spells that out.

Fayetteville-area plans not returning for 2027

Seven plans offered in Cumberland County in 2026 will not be back next year. In alphabetical order by carrier, they are:

• Aetna Medicare Signature Care (HMO) — Aetna (CVS Health)
• Wellcare Dual Access (HMO-POS D-SNP) — Centene (WellCare)
• Wellcare Giveback Open (PPO) — Centene (WellCare)
• HumanaChoice H5525-050 (PPO) — Humana
• HumanaChoice H5525-083 (PPO) — Humana
• UHC Dual Complete NC-D001 (HMO-POS D-SNP) — UnitedHealthcare
• UHC Dual Complete NC-S3 (HMO-POS D-SNP) — UnitedHealthcare

If you're enrolled in one of these, your carrier is required to mail you a non-renewal notice. Do not ignore it. Without action, you'll default back to Original Medicare on Jan. 1, 2027, which does not include drug coverage.

New plans joining Cumberland County for 2027

Eight plans are new to the county for 2027:

• Humana Gold Plus Giveback H1036-343 (HMO-POS)
• Humana Gold Plus H1036-137 (HMO-POS)
• HumanaChoice H7617-122 (PPO)
• AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC NC-0001 (PPO)
• AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC NC-0004 (PPO)
• AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx NC-MA01 (PPO)
• UHC Dual Complete NC-Q2 (HMO-POS D-SNP)
• UHC Dual Complete NC-S3 (HMO-POS D-SNP)

The full 2027 lineup — every plan from every carrier serving Cumberland County — is in the table below.

Renamed plans: same plan, new name

Nine plans are keeping their contract but changing names. If any of these are on your card, you're still covered — but the paperwork will look 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
• Wellcare Carolina Complete Dual Liberty Open (PPO D-SNP) — was Wellcare Dual Liberty Open
• Wellcare Carolina Complete Dual Reserve (HMO-POS D-SNP) — was Wellcare Dual Reserve
• Humana Full Access (Regional PPO) — was Humana Full Access R0110-005
• AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC NC-15 (HMO-POS) — was NC-0015
• UHC Dual Advantage NC-V1 (HMO-POS D-SNP) — was UHC Dual Complete NC-V001
• UHC Dual Complete NC-Q1 (PPO D-SNP) — was UHC Dual Complete NC-S001

A rename alone doesn't mean the benefits changed. But some renamed plans also had other adjustments — again, your ANOC will tell you.

What Fayetteville members should do this fall

1. Open the ANOC when it arrives. Plans send it by late September. It lists any changes for 2027 — premium, deductible, drug formulary, provider network, extra benefits. 2. Check that your doctors and prescriptions are still covered. Networks and drug lists can change even when the plan name doesn't. 3. Use the Plan Finder at medicare.gov. You can enter your ZIP code and medications and see every plan available in Cumberland County side by side. 4. Know your deadlines. Annual Enrollment runs Oct. 15 – Dec. 7 for a Jan. 1 start. If your plan is one of the seven not returning, you get a Special Enrollment Period through Feb. 28, 2027 to pick a replacement. And the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, Jan. 1 – March 31, lets current MA members make one change.

A few program facts worth remembering

These apply nationwide, not just in Fayetteville, but they shape decisions this year:

• Part D has a $2,100 out-of-pocket cap on covered drugs.
• The Part D deductible can be no higher than $615.
• The old "donut hole" coverage gap is gone as of 2025.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly installments.
• IRMAA surcharges on Part B and Part D premiums kick in above $109,000 in income for a single filer.