Medicare Advantage

Wake County Loses 19 Plans: Your Next Step by Feb 28

People in Raleigh can choose from 48 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 77 this year. 19 of this year's plans are gone, 5 are new to Wake County, and 20 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 15 of them under a new name.

Raleigh, N.C. — Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period is underway, and the plan lineup Wake County residents will choose from for 2027 looks different than it did this year. Federal filings show 19 Medicare Advantage plans leaving the county after 2026, 5 new plans coming in, and 15 renamed — enough shuffling that many Raleigh members will want to open the mail from their insurer, not toss it.

What is changing in Wake County for 2027

Raleigh is in Wake County, where Medicare Advantage plan availability is set. According to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files for 2026 and 2027, the county's lineup is shifting in four ways at once:

• 19 plans are leaving after 2026
• 5 plans are new for 2027
• 15 plans are being renamed but continuing
• 20 continuing plans have a change to premium, deductible, plan type, or name that members will see in their Annual Notice of Change (ANOC)
• 43 plans are continuing without one of those flagged changes

The table below lists every plan available in the county. Use it alongside your ANOC — the notice your insurer mailed in late September — to see where your specific plan lands.

Plans that will not be offered after 2026

Two carriers are leaving the Wake County market: Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC) and Experience Health. Every HealthSpring-branded plan sold here — HealthSpring Courage (HMO), HealthSpring Preferred (HMO), HealthSpring Preferred Plus (HMO), HealthSpring Preferred Savings (HMO), HealthSpring Preferred Select (HMO), HealthSpring TotalCare (HMO D-SNP), HealthSpring TotalCare Plus (HMO D-SNP) and HealthSpring True Choice (PPO) — is on the exit list, along with Experience Health Medicare Advantage (HMO).

Other plans not returning in 2027:

• Aetna Medicare Signature Care (HMO)
• Alignment Health Platinum (HMO)
• Blue Medicare Choice (HMO)
• Wellcare Dual Access (HMO-POS D-SNP)
• Wellcare Giveback Open (PPO)
• HumanaChoice H5525-050 (PPO)
• HumanaChoice H5525-083 (PPO)
• AARP Medicare Advantage Access from UHC NC-23 (PPO)
• UHC Dual Complete NC-D001 (HMO-POS D-SNP)
• UHC Dual Complete NC-S3 (HMO-POS D-SNP) (the NC-S3 name is being reused for a new plan for 2027 — see below)

If you are on one of these plans, do not wait for a phone call. Read your non-renewal notice carefully; it explains that you must choose a new plan or you will fall back to Original Medicare on January 1.

Plans that are new for 2027

Five plans are entering the Wake County market next year:

• Humana Gold Plus Giveback H1036-343 (HMO-POS)
• Humana Gold Plus H1036-137 (HMO-POS)
• PruittHealth Premier (HMO I-SNP)
• UHC Dual Complete NC-Q2 (HMO-POS D-SNP)
• UHC Dual Complete NC-S3 (HMO-POS D-SNP)

New plans are worth a look, but check the provider network and drug list before switching. Being new does not mean being right for you.

Plans that are renamed (same plan, new label)

Fifteen plans are keeping their contract and continuing for 2027 under a different name. If you see one of these on a letter or the Plan Finder, it is likely the plan you already have:

• Aetna Medicare Eagle (PPO) — was Aetna Medicare Eagle Giveback (PPO)
• Aetna Medicare Full Dual (HMO D-SNP) — was Aetna Medicare Dual (HMO D-SNP)
• Alignment Health AVA 001 (PPO) — was Alignment Health AVA (PPO)
• Alignment Health Duals+ 004 (HMO-POS D-SNP) — was Alignment Health NC Duals (HMO-POS D-SNP)
• Alignment Health Heart & Diabetes 011 (HMO C-SNP) — was Alignment Health Heart & Diabetes Care (HMO C-SNP)
• Alignment Health Heart & Diabetes Plus 009 (HMO-POS C-SNP) — was Alignment Health Heart & Diabetes NCPlus (HMO-POS C-SNP)
• Alignment Health Platinum 010 (HMO) — was Alignment Health Platinum Select (HMO)
• Alignment Health Smart 006 (HMO) — was Alignment Health smartHMO (HMO)
• 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)
• Humana Full Access (Regional PPO) — was Humana Full Access R0110-005 (Regional PPO)
• AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC NC-15 (HMO-POS) — was AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC NC-0015 (HMO-POS)
• UHC Dual Advantage NC-V1 (HMO-POS D-SNP) — was UHC Dual Complete NC-V001 (HMO-POS D-SNP)
• UHC Dual Complete NC-Q1 (PPO D-SNP) — was UHC Dual Complete NC-S001 (PPO D-SNP)

A rename by itself is not a reason to switch. Read the ANOC to see whether anything else changed inside the plan.

What Raleigh members should do this fall

Your steps depend on which pile your plan falls into.

If your plan is leaving after 2026. You have two enrollment windows. You can use the Annual Enrollment Period, which runs October 15 through December 7, to pick a new Medicare Advantage or Part D plan. If you miss that, non-renewed members get a Special Enrollment Period that runs through the end of February to choose new coverage or move to Original Medicare with a stand-alone Part D plan.

If your plan is renamed. Confirm the new name matches your member ID card and check that your doctors and medications are still covered. A rename does not require any action, but your ANOC may still show other changes.

If your plan is continuing but flagged as "changing." CMS's file shows a difference for 2027 on premium, deductible, plan type, or name for 20 continuing plans in Wake County. We are not going to guess at what changed — your ANOC lists the specifics side by side with 2026.

If your plan is continuing with no flagged change. Still take a few minutes on the Plan Finder at medicare.gov. Drug lists and provider networks can shift year to year even when the headline details do not.

Program-level facts to keep in mind for 2027

These apply to Part D drug coverage across the board, including the drug coverage built into most Medicare Advantage plans:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615.
• The old coverage gap ("donut hole") no longer exists; Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs into monthly payments across the year if you choose to opt in.
• IRMAA surcharges start above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.