Medicare Advantage

If your Winston-Salem Medicare Advantage plan isn't coming back in 2027, here's how to tell

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. — This fall, 15 Medicare Advantage plans sold in Forsyth County will not be offered again when the 2027 plan year begins on January 1. If you're enrolled in one of them, your insurer is required to tell you by mail — and you have more time than the usual December 7 deadline to pick what's next.

The names come from CMS's Medicare Advantage Landscape files, which compare the plans offered this year to the plans each carrier filed for next year. Below are the plans leaving Forsyth County, how to tell if your plan is one of them, and the choices you have.

Which Medicare Advantage plans are not returning in Winston-Salem for 2027?

Winston-Salem is in Forsyth County, where CMS's 2026 and 2027 Landscape files show 15 Medicare Advantage plans that will not be offered again next year. Listed alphabetically by carrier:

• Aetna (CVS Health): Aetna Medicare Signature Care (HMO)
• Alignment Health Plan: Alignment Health Platinum (HMO)
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina: Blue Medicare Choice (HMO)
• Centene (WellCare): Wellcare Dual Access (HMO-POS D-SNP); Wellcare Giveback Open (PPO)
• HealthSpring: HealthSpring Preferred Plus (HMO); HealthSpring Preferred Select (HMO)
• HealthTeam Advantage: HealthTeam Advantage Diabetes & Heart Care (HMO C-SNP)
• Humana: HumanaChoice H5525-050 (PPO); HumanaChoice H5525-083 (PPO)
• Provider Partners Health Plans: Provider Partners North Carolina Community Plan (HMO I-SNP); Provider Partners North Carolina Essential Plan (HMO I-SNP)
• UnitedHealthcare: 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)

A plan not appearing here is expected to be offered again in Forsyth County for 2027, though its benefits, network and costs can still change. Those changes are spelled out in the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) each insurer sends in the fall.

How do I tell if my plan is ending in Winston-Salem?

Watch the mail. When Medicare Advantage carriers end a plan, CMS requires them to send a written non-renewal notice — sometimes labeled a "plan termination notice" — to every member, typically arriving by early October 2026.

The letter will say your plan is ending December 31, 2026, that you will not be enrolled in a new plan automatically, and that you have a Special Enrollment Period to choose a new one. If you're not sure what you received, you can also:

• Call the member services number on the back of your plan ID card.
• Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), available 24/7.
• Sign in at medicare.gov and look at your current plan under "Your coverage."

What happens if I do nothing when my Medicare Advantage plan ends?

If your plan is on the Forsyth County non-renewal list and you don't choose a new plan, you will be returned to Original Medicare (Parts A and B) on January 1, 2027. You will not be left uninsured — but Original Medicare on its own does not include prescription drug coverage, and it does not have the out-of-pocket maximum that Medicare Advantage plans do.

That matters for two reasons:

1. If you want prescription drug coverage, you'll need to actively enroll in a stand-alone Part D plan. For 2027, Part D has a $2,400 annual out-of-pocket cap and a $700 maximum deductible, per CMS. 2. If you want help with the 20% coinsurance Original Medicare leaves behind, you may want to look at a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy.

Doing nothing is a valid choice — but it is a choice, and it's worth making on purpose.

What Special Enrollment Period do I get if my plan is non-renewed?

Members of a non-renewed plan get a Special Enrollment Period that runs from December 8, 2026 through the last day of February 2027. During that window you can:

• Join a different Medicare Advantage plan (with or without drug coverage).
• Join a stand-alone Medicare Part D drug plan if you move to Original Medicare.
• Switch back to Original Medicare without penalty.

You can also use the regular Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7, 2026) to pick a replacement that starts January 1, 2027 — which avoids any gap in coverage. The SEP is a safety net if you need more time to compare.

Medigap note: Federal law gives people whose Medicare Advantage plan is terminating a guaranteed-issue right to buy certain Medicare Supplement policies without medical underwriting, within set time limits around the plan ending. North Carolina may add protections of its own; the N.C. Department of Insurance and SHIIP can confirm which Medigap plans qualify and the deadlines that apply to you.

How do I compare replacement plans in Forsyth County?

For 2027, Forsyth County will have 97 Medicare Advantage plans from 13 carriers to choose from, according to the CMS Landscape file. The table on this page lists every plan available in the county, so you can see what's offered side by side.

A few practical steps:

• Make a short list of what matters: your doctors, your hospital, your pharmacy, and your prescriptions by name and dose.
• Use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov. Enter your ZIP code and drug list to see each plan's estimated yearly cost, network, and star rating.
• Check networks directly. Call your doctor's office and ask which Medicare Advantage plans they'll accept in 2027 — networks can change year to year.
• Read the Evidence of Coverage for any plan you're seriously considering. It's the binding document on benefits and rules.

If you'd rather talk to a person, 1-800-MEDICARE can walk you through options at no cost.