Medicare Advantage

Wellcare's 2027 Medicare Advantage plans in Winston-Salem: three renamed, two gone, none new

Winston-Salem, N.C. — As Annual Enrollment 2027 opens on Oct. 15, 2026, Wellcare's Medicare Advantage lineup in Forsyth County looks a little different than it did a year ago. The carrier is offering seven plans here for 2027, down from nine for 2026. Three plans carry new names, two are not returning, and no brand-new plans are being added.

Before you make a change — or decide to let your current plan renew on Jan. 1, 2027 — it is worth looking at exactly which Wellcare plans will be on the shelf in Winston-Salem, and how to check any one of them against your own doctors and prescriptions.

Which Wellcare Medicare Advantage plans are offered in Winston-Salem for 2027?

Wellcare is offering 7 Medicare Advantage plans in Forsyth County, the county Winston-Salem sits in, for 2027. By plan type that is 3 HMO-POS plans and 4 PPO plans. The table below lists every plan by name.

In alphabetical order, Wellcare's 2027 plans in the county are:

• Wellcare Assist Open (PPO)
• Wellcare Carolina Complete Dual Liberty (HMO-POS D-SNP)
• Wellcare Carolina Complete Dual Liberty Open (PPO D-SNP)
• Wellcare Carolina Complete Dual Reserve (HMO-POS D-SNP)
• Wellcare Patriot Giveback Open (PPO)
• Wellcare Simple (HMO-POS)
• Wellcare Simple Open (PPO)

MyMedicarePlans.org is an independent consumer site, not Wellcare and not Medicare. Wellcare is one of 13 carriers offering Medicare Advantage plans in Forsyth County for 2027; all carriers combined offer 97 plans in the county.

What is new, renamed or not returning in Wellcare's 2027 lineup?

For 2027, Wellcare has 0 new plans, 2 plans not returning, and 3 plans renamed in Forsyth County. The three renamed plans are the carrier's Dual Special Needs Plans:

• "Wellcare Dual Liberty (HMO-POS D-SNP)" is now Wellcare Carolina Complete Dual Liberty (HMO-POS D-SNP).
• "Wellcare Dual Liberty Open (PPO D-SNP)" is now Wellcare Carolina Complete Dual Liberty Open (PPO D-SNP).
• "Wellcare Dual Reserve (HMO-POS D-SNP)" is now Wellcare Carolina Complete Dual Reserve (HMO-POS D-SNP).

A rename is more than a sticker change — the contract may have adjustments to benefits, networks or drug lists. Those details live in the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) your plan mailed in September, and in the 2027 Evidence of Coverage. If you are currently enrolled in one of the two plans that is not returning, Wellcare will send a non-renewal notice explaining your options and the Special Enrollment Period that comes with it.

How many of Wellcare's Winston-Salem plans are Special Needs Plans or include drug coverage?

Three of Wellcare's seven 2027 plans in Forsyth County are Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs), designed for people who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. There are no Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs) or Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs) in Wellcare's local 2027 lineup.

Six of the seven plans include Part D prescription drug coverage. One plan — Wellcare Patriot Giveback Open (PPO) — is a Medicare Advantage-only plan without built-in Part D. If you enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan without drug coverage, you generally cannot add a stand-alone Part D plan on top; the main exception is certain PPO plans, and for most people the simplest route is to pick a plan that already bundles drugs.

How do I check a Wellcare plan against my doctors and prescriptions before Dec. 7?

Use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov. It is the only tool that pulls each plan's current provider network and 2027 drug list in one place. A clean check takes about 15 minutes:

1. Sign in (or create a free account) at medicare.gov so your current drugs and pharmacy carry over. 2. Enter your Winston-Salem ZIP code and your prescriptions, with doses and quantities. 3. Filter to Medicare Advantage plans and open the Wellcare plan you want to compare. 4. On the plan page, check the pharmacy and drug costs tab, then click into the provider directory link for your doctors, specialists and preferred hospital. 5. If anything is unclear, call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), open 24/7, or call the number on the plan's own materials.

Networks and formularies can change on Jan. 1, so a plan that covered your cardiologist or your blood-thinner in 2026 may handle it differently in 2027. Verifying before Dec. 7, 2026 gives you time to switch if something important falls off.

What Medicare dates and figures should Winston-Salem residents keep in mind for 2027?

Annual Enrollment runs Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026, with any change you make taking effect Jan. 1, 2027. If you do nothing, your current Medicare Advantage plan renews — with the changes described in its ANOC — as long as it is offered in the county next year. Medicare Advantage members get a second window, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, from Jan. 1 to March 31, 2027, to make one switch.

A few program-level figures CMS has already confirmed for 2027:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027 (it is $2,100 in 2026).
• The Part D maximum deductible is $700 in 2027 (it is $615 in 2026).
• The Part D national base beneficiary premium for 2027 is $41.33 — this is a formula input, not the premium any specific plan charges.

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, have not yet been announced. CMS typically publishes those in the fall, usually November. The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan — the optional program that spreads your Part D costs across the calendar year — continues in 2027 for anyone who wants to opt in.