Medicare Advantage

Raleigh's 2027 Dual Special Needs Plans: 18 D-SNPs and the rules for switching

People in Raleigh can choose from 63 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 77 this year. 19 of this year’s plans are gone, 5 are new to Wake County, and 35 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 15 of them under a new name.

RALEIGH, N.C. — Fall 2026. If you have both Medicare and Medicaid in Raleigh, your menu of Dual Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) for 2027 is set. Raleigh sits in Wake County, where the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape for next year lists 18 D-SNPs from seven carriers. A few have new names, two are brand new, and one key piece of good news for dual-eligible readers is this: you do not have to wait until the fall window to make a change.

What a D-SNP is, in plain language

A Dual Special Needs Plan is a type of Medicare Advantage plan built for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. All D-SNPs include prescription drug coverage, and they are designed to coordinate the two programs so you have one plan handling most of your care.

D-SNPs are only sold to people who qualify. If you lose Medicaid, you usually get a grace period to either regain it or move to a different kind of coverage.

Who qualifies: full vs. partial dual eligibility

"Dual eligible" is an umbrella term. In North Carolina, the state Medicaid agency decides which category you fall into based on your income and resources. The main groups:

• Full dual eligible: You have Medicare and full North Carolina Medicaid benefits. Medicaid helps with Medicare premiums and cost-sharing and also pays for services Medicare does not cover, such as long-term services and supports.
• Partial dual eligible: You have Medicare and a Medicare Savings Program (such as QMB, SLMB or QI) that helps pay some Medicare costs, but you do not get full Medicaid benefits.

Both groups may be able to enroll in a D-SNP, but plans are built around specific eligibility categories, so a plan that fits a full-benefit member may not accept a partial-benefit member, and vice versa. To confirm your category, contact North Carolina Medicaid or check your Medicaid notice. Medicare can also verify your status at 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048).

If you qualify for Medicaid, you almost always qualify for Extra Help with Part D drug costs automatically.

The 2027 D-SNP lineup in Wake County

The table on this page lists every 2027 Medicare Advantage plan in Wake County. Of those, 18 are D-SNPs, offered by these carriers (alphabetical):

• Aetna (CVS Health) — 2 D-SNPs, including Aetna Medicare Full Dual (HMO D-SNP), which was renamed from Aetna Medicare Dual (HMO D-SNP), and Aetna Medicare Full Dual Care (HMO D-SNP).
• Alignment Health Plan — 1 D-SNP: Alignment Health Duals+ 004 (HMO-POS D-SNP), renamed from Alignment Health NC Duals (HMO-POS D-SNP).
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina — 1 D-SNP: Healthy Blue + Medicare (HMO-POS D-SNP).
• Centene (WellCare) — 3 D-SNPs: Wellcare Carolina Complete Dual Liberty (HMO-POS D-SNP), Wellcare Carolina Complete Dual Liberty Open (PPO D-SNP) and Wellcare Carolina Complete Dual Reserve (HMO-POS D-SNP). All three were renamed from "Wellcare Dual…" versions.
• Humana — 5 D-SNPs: Humana Dual Select H1036-307 (HMO D-SNP), Humana Dual Select H5525-072 (PPO D-SNP), Humana Gold Plus SNP-DE H1036-167 (HMO D-SNP), Humana Gold Plus SNP-DE H1036-331 (HMO D-SNP) and HumanaChoice SNP-DE H5525-036 (PPO D-SNP).
• Liberty Medicare Advantage — 1 D-SNP: Liberty Medicare Dual Plan (HMO D-SNP).
• UnitedHealthcare — 5 D-SNPs: UHC Dual Advantage NC-V1 (HMO-POS D-SNP), renamed from UHC Dual Complete NC-V001; UHC Dual Complete NC-Q1 (PPO D-SNP), renamed from UHC Dual Complete NC-S001; UHC Dual Complete NC-Q2 (HMO-POS D-SNP), new for 2027; UHC Dual Complete NC-S2 (PPO D-SNP); and UHC Dual Complete NC-S3 (HMO-POS D-SNP), new for 2027.

For context, Wake County also has 5 Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs) and 5 Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs) for 2027, which are built for people with specific chronic conditions or who live in a nursing facility.

A plan name change does not change your coverage automatically, but costs and networks for the new plan year can shift — those details live in each plan's Annual Notice of Change and Evidence of Coverage.

How often a dual-eligible person can change plans

This is where D-SNP members have a real advantage over most Medicare beneficiaries.

• The Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7, 2026) is open to everyone. A change you make now takes effect January 1, 2027.
• The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (January 1 – March 31) lets anyone in a Medicare Advantage plan make one switch.
• A monthly Special Enrollment Period for dual-eligible and Extra Help members. Under current CMS rules, people with Medicaid or Extra Help generally get an opportunity once per calendar quarter during the first three quarters of the year to make certain changes, and dual-eligible members can also use a monthly chance to enroll in an integrated D-SNP that aligns with their Medicaid plan — or to drop a Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare with a stand-alone Part D drug plan.

CMS has adjusted these windows in recent years, so the simplest way to confirm what applies to you right now is to call 1-800-MEDICARE or check medicare.gov.

If you also lose or gain Medicaid, that itself opens a Special Enrollment Period so you can move into a plan that matches your new status.

How to confirm your eligibility before you enroll

Before you call a plan, it helps to have your status in writing:

1. Check your Medicaid notice from North Carolina Medicaid. It will say whether you have full Medicaid, a Medicare Savings Program, or both. 2. Call North Carolina Medicaid if you are not sure which category you are in. The agent can tell you your eligibility code — plans use this to match you to the right D-SNP. 3. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Medicare can confirm what the federal system shows about your Medicare parts and your Extra Help status. 4. Use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov/plan-compare to see which plans you can join, and to compare drug lists and provider directories.

What's new for 2027 at the program level

A few confirmed federal numbers to keep in mind as you compare plans. For 2027, Medicare's Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 (up from $2,100 in 2026), and the Part D maximum deductible is $700 (up from $615 in 2026). The Part D national base beneficiary premium for 2027 is $41.33 — that is a formula input CMS uses, not what any particular plan charges.

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets have not been announced yet; CMS typically publishes them in the fall, usually in November.

For most D-SNP members with full Medicaid, Medicaid covers Part B premiums and most cost-sharing, so these federal changes affect the broader Medicare program more than your out-of-pocket costs. Still, it is worth knowing.