Medicare Advantage

Before you pick a Greensboro Advantage plan, read this

Guilford County has 97 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 15 plans are not coming back, 14 are new, and 41 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 16 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Greensboro, not which plan to pick.

Medicare AdvantageGreensboro, NC

If you live in Greensboro and are sorting through Medicare Advantage for 2027, the first question isn't usually which plan — it's which type of plan. HMO, HMO-POS, PPO, PFFS, D-SNP, C-SNP, I-SNP: the letters matter more than the marketing, because they decide how you'll actually use your coverage.

Greensboro is in Guilford County, where 13 carriers are offering 81 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source File. Every one of those plans includes drug coverage. But they don't all work the same way, and understanding the plan types is the cleanest way to narrow a long list down to a short one.

Who sells Medicare Advantage in Greensboro

Thirteen carriers offer Medicare Advantage plans in Guilford County for 2027. Compared with 2026, AmeriHealth Caritas VIP Care is new to the county. Across all carriers, 14 plans are new, 15 are not returning, 16 have been renamed, and 25 continuing plans change something in their terms — the details are in each plan's Annual Notice of Change.

The plan count each carrier offers in Guilford County varies. Some carriers offer plans built for a specific situation (more on that below), while others offer a wider mix of general and specialized plans. The table below lists every plan by carrier for 2027.

Different plan counts don't mean one carrier is "better" than another — they just reflect how each company designs its lineup. Some focus on a few broad plans; others build many narrower options.

HMO, HMO-POS and PPO: the everyday choice

Most people shopping Medicare Advantage will land on one of these three plan types. Here's how they differ at the program level.

HMO (Health Maintenance Organization). You use doctors and hospitals in the plan's network. You usually pick a primary care doctor and need referrals to see specialists. Out-of-network care generally isn't covered except in emergencies.

HMO-POS (Point of Service). An HMO with a limited "point of service" option that lets you go outside the network for certain services, usually at a higher cost. Rules vary by plan.

PPO (Preferred Provider Organization). You can see any provider who accepts Medicare and the plan's terms, in or out of network, though in-network costs are lower. Referrals usually aren't required.

PFFS (Private Fee-for-Service). This is a fourth Medicare Advantage type in the program overall — providers must agree to the plan's payment terms visit by visit. For 2027, PFFS is not part of the local choice in Guilford County.

Special Needs Plans (SNPs): built for a specific situation

Special Needs Plans are Medicare Advantage plans limited to people who meet specific eligibility rules. In Guilford County, 38 of the 98 plans are SNPs. There are three flavors:

• D-SNP (Dual Eligible). For people who have both Medicare and Medicaid.
• C-SNP (Chronic Condition). For people diagnosed with a qualifying chronic condition. Locally, the C-SNPs on offer focus on chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart conditions.
• I-SNP (Institutional). For people who live in a nursing home or need a nursing-home level of care, generally for 90 days or longer.

You can't just choose a SNP because it looks appealing — you have to qualify for it. If you do qualify, these plans are designed around your situation and may include tailored care coordination.

How to decide which type fits you

A few practical questions usually settle the plan-type question quickly:

• Do you already see doctors you want to keep? Check whether they're in a plan's network before anything else. If they're only reachable through a PPO, that narrows the list.
• Do you travel or split time out of state? PPO rules for out-of-network care are usually more forgiving than HMO rules.
• Are you comfortable with referrals and a primary care gatekeeper? If yes, an HMO may feel routine; if not, PPO structures may fit better.
• Do you qualify for Medicaid, have a qualifying chronic condition, or live in a nursing facility? A Special Needs Plan may be worth a closer look.

Once you've picked a plan type, then it makes sense to compare individual plans for premiums, drug coverage, dental and vision, provider networks, and star ratings — none of which we're covering plan-by-plan here.

A few 2027 rules that apply no matter which plan you choose

Every Medicare Advantage plan in Guilford County for 2027 includes drug coverage, and a few program-wide numbers are worth knowing before you shop:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap for 2026 is $2,100. Once you hit it, you pay $0 for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615 (individual plans can set a lower one).
• The old coverage gap — the "donut hole" — was eliminated as of 2025. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• 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. It's optional.
• IRMAA (an income-related surcharge on Part B and Part D premiums) starts above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

Deadlines to keep in mind

• Annual Enrollment Period: Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026. This is when most people join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan for 2027.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: Jan. 1 – March 31. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance to switch to another MA plan or return to Original Medicare (with a Part D plan).