Medicare Advantage

Is Your Forsyth County Plan Leaving After 2026?

Forsyth County has 81 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 15 plans are not coming back, 13 are new, and 25 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.

Medicare AdvantageWinston-Salem, NC

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period is open through Dec. 7, and the 2027 plan lineup in Forsyth County looks different from what many members are used to. According to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape files, 15 Medicare Advantage plans will not return next year, 13 new plans are joining the market, and 16 existing plans have been renamed. Another 25 continuing plans change something in their terms — details that show up in each member's Annual Notice of Change (ANOC).

If you live in Winston-Salem, that means it's worth opening the mail from your carrier this fall, even if you've kept the same plan for years.

What's changing in Forsyth County

Winston-Salem is in Forsyth County, and Medicare Advantage availability is set at the county level. Here is what the CMS files show for 2027 compared with 2026:

• 15 plans leaving after 2026
• 13 new plans starting for 2027
• 16 plans renamed (same plan, new label)
• 25 plans changing on premium, deductible, plan type or name — the specifics live in your ANOC
• 68 plans continuing with no listed change

The table below lists every plan available in the county for the coming year.

Plans that will not be offered in 2027

If you're enrolled in one of these plans, your coverage under it ends Dec. 31, 2026. Listed in alphabetical order by carrier:

• Aetna Medicare Signature Care (HMO) — Aetna (CVS Health)
• Alignment Health Platinum (HMO) — Alignment Health Plan
• Blue Medicare Choice (HMO) — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina
• HealthSpring Preferred Plus (HMO) — Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC)
• HealthSpring Preferred Select (HMO) — Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC)
• Wellcare Dual Access (HMO-POS D-SNP) — Centene (WellCare)
• Wellcare Giveback Open (PPO) — Centene (WellCare)
• HealthTeam Advantage Diabetes & Heart Care (HMO C-SNP) — HealthTeam Advantage
• HumanaChoice H5525-050 (PPO) — Humana
• HumanaChoice H5525-083 (PPO) — Humana
• Provider Partners North Carolina Community Plan (HMO I-SNP) — Provider Partners Health Plans
• Provider Partners North Carolina Essential Plan (HMO I-SNP) — Provider Partners Health Plans
• AARP Medicare Advantage Access from UHC NC-23 (PPO) — UnitedHealthcare
• UHC Dual Complete NC-D001 (HMO-POS D-SNP) — UnitedHealthcare
• UHC Dual Complete NC-S3 (HMO-POS D-SNP) — UnitedHealthcare

If your plan is on this list, your carrier is required to send you a non-renewal notice. You'll get a Special Enrollment Period that runs through the end of February 2027 to choose a new Medicare Advantage plan, join a stand-alone Part D drug plan, or switch back to Original Medicare.

New plans arriving for 2027

Thirteen Medicare Advantage plans are new to Forsyth County next year:

• Aetna Medicare Chronic Care (HMO C-SNP) — Aetna (CVS Health)
• HealthSpring Achieve (HMO C-SNP) — Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC)
• DEVOTED C-SNP GIVEBACK EXTRAS 032 NC (HMO C-SNP) — Devoted Health
• DEVOTED GIVEBACK EXTRAS 038 NC (HMO) — Devoted Health
• HealthTeam Advantage Thrive Plan (HMO) — HealthTeam Advantage
• Humana Gold Plus Giveback H1036-343 (HMO-POS) — Humana
• Humana Gold Plus H1036-137 (HMO-POS) — Humana
• HumanaChoice H7617-122 (PPO) — Humana
• Provider Partners North Carolina Community Plan (HMO I-SNP) — Provider Partners Health Plans
• Provider Partners North Carolina Essential Plan (HMO I-SNP) — Provider Partners Health Plans
• PruittHealth Premier (HMO I-SNP) — PruittHealth Premier
• UHC Dual Complete NC-Q2 (HMO-POS D-SNP) — UnitedHealthcare
• UHC Dual Complete NC-S3 (HMO-POS D-SNP) — UnitedHealthcare

Several of these are Special Needs Plans (D-SNP, C-SNP or I-SNP), which are limited to people who qualify — for example, people with both Medicare and Medicaid, people with certain chronic conditions, or people living in a nursing home.

Renamed plans — same plan, new label

Sixteen plans in the county kept going but got a new name. If you can't find your plan by name this fall, check whether it was simply renamed:

• 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)
• DEVOTED C-SNP ENHANCED 017 NC (HMO C-SNP) — was DEVOTED C-SNP PREMIUM 017 NC (HMO C-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 doesn't automatically mean anything else changed — but it's still worth reading the ANOC, since your plan could also be in the group with a premium, deductible or plan