Medicare Advantage

2027 Medicare Advantage in Fayetteville, N.C.

For 2027, Fayetteville is looking at 64 Medicare Advantage plans: 8 new, 7 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 Cumberland County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

Medicare AdvantageFayetteville, NC

Fayetteville, N.C. — If you are sorting through Medicare Advantage options here for 2027, the first thing to know is who is selling plans and what kind of plans they are. That is the framework that helps everything else — networks, drug coverage, extra benefits — make sense.

Fayetteville sits in Cumberland County, and Medicare Advantage availability is set at the county level. For 2027, Cumberland County has 55 Medicare Advantage plans from 8 carriers. Of those, 47 are continuing from 2026, 8 are new, 9 have been renamed, and 7 plans offered in 2026 are not returning; 16 continuing plans change something in their terms, and the ANOC spells those out. All 55 include prescription drug coverage. The plans fall into a few different structures — HMO, HMO-POS and PPO — and some are Special Needs Plans built for specific groups of people.

The 8 carriers offering Medicare Advantage in Cumberland County

Listed alphabetically, the carriers with Medicare Advantage plans in the county for 2027 are:

• Aetna (CVS Health) — 9 plans (HMO, PPO; 2 Special Needs)
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina — 7 plans (HMO, HMO-POS, PPO; 1 Special Needs)
• Centene (WellCare) — 9 plans (HMO-POS, PPO; 4 Special Needs)
• Humana — 18 plans (HMO, HMO-POS, PPO; 6 Special Needs)
• Liberty Medicare Advantage — 3 plans (HMO; 3 Special Needs)
• Longevity Health Plan — 1 plan (HMO; 1 Special Needs)
• Troy Medicare — 2 plans (HMO; 1 Special Needs)
• UnitedHealthcare — 14 plans (HMO-POS, PPO; 7 Special Needs)

Some carriers offer a broad menu across multiple plan types; others focus on a narrower slice, such as HMO Special Needs Plans. The table below on this page lists every plan by name.

What HMO, HMO-POS, PPO and PFFS actually mean

Medicare Advantage plans are grouped by how they handle networks and referrals. Understanding those labels is often more useful than comparing carrier names.

HMO (Health Maintenance Organization). You generally use doctors and hospitals in the plan's network, and you usually pick a primary care doctor who coordinates your care. Out-of-network care is typically covered only for emergencies. Locally, HMO plans include options such as Aetna Medicare Signature Care, Blue Medicare Essential, Troy Medicare and Longevity Health Plan.

HMO-POS (Point of Service). This is an HMO with a "point of service" option that lets you go outside the network for certain services, usually at a higher cost. Blue Medicare Enhanced and several AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC plans are examples on the local roster.

PPO (Preferred Provider Organization). PPOs let you see any Medicare provider who agrees to treat you, without a referral. In-network care costs less than out-of-network care. Some PPOs are "local" and some are "regional." You will see both on the Cumberland County list, including Aetna Medicare Signature, Blue Medicare PPO Enhanced, Wellcare Simple Open, and several HumanaChoice plans.

PFFS (Private Fee-for-Service). PFFS plans set their own payment terms and let you see any provider who agrees to those terms. No PFFS plans are offered in Cumberland County for 2027, so this is a plan type you may read about but will not see on the local menu next year.

Special Needs Plans: who they are for

Of the 63 plans in Cumberland County, 25 are Special Needs Plans (SNPs). These are Medicare Advantage plans limited to people who meet specific eligibility rules. There are three kinds:

• D-SNP (Dual Eligible) — for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. Examples locally include Aetna Medicare Dual, Healthy Blue + Medicare, Wellcare Dual Access, Humana Dual Select, Liberty Medicare Dual Plan, Troy Medicare for Dual-eligible Beneficiaries, and several UHC Dual Complete plans.
• C-SNP (Chronic Condition) — for people with certain qualifying chronic conditions. Locally these include Humana Gold Plus - Diabetes and Heart, Liberty Medicare Advantage, and UHC Complete Care NC-28.
• I-SNP (Institutional) — for people who live in, or need the level of care provided in, a nursing home or similar facility. Locally, Liberty Medicare Advantage Nursing Home Plan, Longevity Health Plan, and UHC Nursing Home Plan NC-F001 are I-SNPs.

If you do not meet a SNP's eligibility rules, you cannot enroll in it. That is why the "general" Medicare Advantage menu in the county is smaller than the full 63.

Drug coverage is built in

Every Medicare Advantage plan on the Cumberland County list for 2027 includes Part D prescription drug coverage. There are no stand-alone Part D plans listed for the area next year, so most people getting Advantage coverage here will be getting their drug coverage through the same plan.

A few program-level facts worth remembering as you compare drug coverage:

• Part D has a new annual out-of-pocket cap of $2,100 in 2026.
• The Part D deductible cannot exceed $615 for 2026.
• The old "donut hole" coverage gap is gone — Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the calendar year in monthly amounts instead of paying at the pharmacy counter.

Dates to keep on the calendar

• Oct. 15 – Dec. 7: Medicare Annual Enrollment Period. You can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan for coverage starting Jan. 1.
• Jan. 1 – March 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period. If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can make one change — switch to another Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare (and add a Part D plan).

Also worth knowing: IRMAA, the income-related surcharge on Part B and Part D premiums, begins above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

How to compare without getting overwhelmed

A useful order of questions:

1. Do I qualify for a Special Needs Plan? If yes, that narrows the field quickly. 2. Do I want an HMO-style plan (network-based, often with a primary care doctor) or a PPO (more flexibility to go out of network)? 3. Are my doctors, hospitals and pharmacies in the plan's network? 4. Are my prescriptions on the plan's drug list, and what tier are they on? 5. What are the plan's total costs — premium, deductibles, copays and out-of-pocket maximum?

The full 2027 plan list is in the table below on this page. To check networks and drug lists for a specific plan, use the Plan Finder at medicare.gov.