Medicare Advantage

Dec. 7 Is the Line: A Winston-Salem AEP Checklist

Forsyth County has 97 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 15 plans are not coming back, 13 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 Winston-Salem, not which plan to pick.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Fall 2026. The envelope that showed up in your mailbox in late September is the single most important piece of Medicare paper you will get this year. It is called the Annual Notice of Change, and it spells out exactly how your plan will look different on January 1, 2027. You have until December 7, 2026 to decide whether the plan still fits — or to switch to another one.

If you do nothing, your current plan simply renews with the changes described in that notice. That is fine for many people. But a short review now, with the right documents on your kitchen table, is the only way to know for sure.

What should Winston-Salem residents review before the Dec. 7 Medicare deadline?

Four things, in this order: the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), your doctors and hospitals, your prescriptions, and your pharmacy. Each one takes a few minutes and answers a different question about whether your plan still works for your life in 2027.

Winston-Salem is in Forsyth County, which Medicare treats as the unit for plan availability. Everything on your checklist should be measured against the 2027 version of your plan, not the 2026 version you have been using.

How do I read my Annual Notice of Change for 2027?

The ANOC is the booklet your plan mailed by September 30. Open it and look for the side-by-side comparison that shows 2026 next to 2027. That is where the real changes live.

Pay attention to the monthly premium, the deductible, the primary care and specialist copays, the hospital stay cost, and the drug tiers. If you take a specific medication, find it in the formulary section — tier changes and new restrictions (like prior authorization) are easy to miss. The Evidence of Coverage, a longer document, has the fine print if you want to dig in.

How do I check that my Winston-Salem doctors and hospitals are still in-network for 2027?

Call the plan's member services number on the back of your card and ask them to confirm each doctor, specialist and hospital you use for 2027 — not 2026. Networks can change at the turn of the year, and a provider who is in-network today may not be on January 1.

In the Winston-Salem area that means checking the hospitals and medical groups you actually use (Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Novant Health and the independent practices around them) against the 2027 provider directory. If a key doctor is leaving the network, that alone is a reason to compare other plans.

How do I check my prescriptions against the 2027 formulary?

Use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov. Log in, enter every medication you take with the exact dose, and add your preferred pharmacy. The tool will show you what each plan available in Forsyth County will charge for your specific drug list in 2027, including any plan you are considering switching to.

Two 2027 numbers to keep in mind, both from CMS: the Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 (up from $2,100 in 2026), and the Part D maximum deductible rises to $700 (up from $615 in 2026). The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan — the option to spread drug costs across monthly payments — continues in 2027 for people who want it.

CMS has not yet released the 2027 Part B standard premium, the Part B deductible, or the 2027 IRMAA income brackets. Those are typically announced in November.

How many Medicare Advantage plans and carriers can I choose from in Forsyth County?

For 2026, Forsyth County has 99 Medicare Advantage plans from 13 carriers. Of those, 87 include drug coverage and 39 are Special Needs Plans designed for people with specific conditions, dual Medicare-Medicaid eligibility, or who live in a nursing home.

The 13 carriers serving the county are Aetna (CVS Health), Alignment Health Plan, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC), Centene (WellCare), Devoted Health, HealthTeam Advantage, Humana, Liberty Medicare Advantage, Longevity Health Plan, Provider Partners Health Plans, PruittHealth Premier and UnitedHealthcare. The table below lists every plan offered in the county, along with its plan type and whether it includes drug coverage. The 2027 lineup will post on Medicare Plan Finder in October.

What happens if I miss the Dec. 7 deadline?

Your current plan renews automatically on January 1, 2027, with the changes described in the ANOC. You are not left without coverage. But you lose the broad right to switch until the next Annual Enrollment Period a year from now.

Two narrower windows exist after December 7. If you are already on a Medicare Advantage plan, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (January 1 – March 31, 2027) lets you switch to a different Advantage plan or move back to Original Medicare one time. Separately, Special Enrollment Periods are available if you move, lose other coverage, or qualify for Extra Help.