Medicare Part D

North Carolina Part D Plans for 2027: 11 Stand-Alone Drug Plans From 6 Insurers

RALEIGH, N.C. — People with Medicare in North Carolina will have 11 stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plans to choose from in 2027, offered by six insurers across the statewide CMS Part D region. That is one fewer plan than the 12 offered in 2026, while the number of insurers in the stand-alone market stays at six. Choices made during Medicare Open Enrollment 2027, which runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, take effect January 1, 2027.

Medicare Part DNorth Carolina

How many stand-alone Part D plans are offered in North Carolina for 2027?

North Carolina has 11 stand-alone Medicare Part D plans from 6 insurers for 2027, compared with 12 plans from 6 insurers in 2026. The net change is one fewer plan statewide, with the same number of insurers participating.

The movement under that total includes one new entrant and one departure. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of IL, NM, OK, TX is new to North Carolina's stand-alone Part D market for 2027. HealthSpring, which offered stand-alone plans in the state in 2026, is not offering them in 2027. Because Part D is organized by region, every stand-alone plan counted here is available to Medicare beneficiaries anywhere in North Carolina.

Which insurers offer stand-alone Part D plans in North Carolina for 2027?

Six insurers offer stand-alone Part D plans in North Carolina in 2027. In alphabetical order, with their 2027 plan counts, they are:

• Aetna Medicare — 1 plan
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of IL, NM, OK, TX — 1 plan
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina — 2 plans
• Humana — 3 plans
• UnitedHealthcare — 2 plans
• Wellcare — 2 plans

The list is alphabetical, not a ranking. Specific premiums, deductibles, formularies and pharmacy networks vary by plan and should be checked plan by plan on the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov.

What do the 2027 Part D out-of-pocket cap and deductible limit mean in North Carolina?

In 2027, no one in a Medicare Part D plan — in North Carolina or anywhere else — will pay more than $2,400 out of pocket for covered prescription drugs for the year, and no Part D plan may charge an annual deductible higher than $700. The out-of-pocket cap in 2026 is $2,100, so the 2027 figure is $300 higher.

Once a beneficiary's spending on covered drugs reaches $2,400 in 2027, the plan covers 100 percent of the cost of covered drugs for the rest of the calendar year. The $700 figure is a ceiling on the deductible; individual plans can set a lower deductible, or none at all, and those details are listed in each plan's documents.

The Part D base beneficiary premium for 2027 is $41.33. That national figure is used to calculate the Part D late-enrollment penalty; it is not the premium of any specific plan.

Which North Carolina Part D plans can someone with full Extra Help join at no premium in 2027?

Two of the 11 stand-alone Part D plans in North Carolina in 2027 can be joined with no monthly premium by a person who qualifies for full Extra Help — the same count as in 2026, when 2 of the 12 plans qualified. These are the plans CMS designates as low-income benchmark plans for the North Carolina Part D region.

Extra Help, also called the Low Income Subsidy, lowers Part D premiums, deductibles and copays for people who meet income and resource limits. The Social Security Administration takes applications year-round. Which specific plans carry the benchmark designation for 2027 is listed on medicare.gov.

How does a stand-alone Part D plan in North Carolina compare with drug coverage in a Medicare Advantage plan?

A stand-alone Part D plan in North Carolina covers only prescription drugs and is designed to pair with Original Medicare. The 11 plans and 6 insurers described in this article are the stand-alone drug plans for 2027. Drug coverage built into a Medicare Advantage plan is a separate product and is not included in these counts.

Most Medicare Advantage plans include Part D drug coverage as part of the same plan, so a person enrolled in that type of Medicare Advantage plan generally does not also enroll in a stand-alone Part D plan. Which route fits depends on how someone wants the rest of their Medicare benefits structured, and the Medicare Plan Finder on medicare.gov shows both options side by side.

How can North Carolina residents check a plan's drug list and pharmacies before December 7, 2026?

The Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov lets North Carolina residents enter their ZIP code and their prescriptions and see, for each 2027 Part D plan, the formulary (drug list), the preferred and standard pharmacies in the area, and the plan's cost-sharing. Doing this before the December 7, 2026 deadline means the choice takes effect January 1, 2027.

Each plan can change its formulary, pharmacy network and cost-sharing from one year to the next, so a plan that fit in 2026 may look different in 2027. Insurers also mail an Annual Notice of Change each fall that spells out what is changing. Calling 1-800-MEDICARE (available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) is another way to walk through the same information.

Where can North Carolina residents get free help with Medicare in 2027?

Free, personalized help with Medicare is available to North Carolina residents from Medicare itself. The Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov is free to use, and 1-800-MEDICARE answers calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in English and Spanish and with other language support.

For background, the Social Security Administration announced on October 14, 2026 a 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security benefits payable beginning January 2027. The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, had not been announced by CMS as of this writing; those figures are typically released in the fall.