CMS data · Updated October 27, 2026
What's changing in your county for 2027?
Pick your North Carolina county and see how many Medicare Advantage plans it has next year, how many have a $0 premium, and how out-of-pocket limits moved.
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In short
Most Triad counties have a few fewer Medicare Advantage plans for 2027 and about the same number of $0-premium plans. The bigger change is the out-of-pocket maximum: in Guilford County the typical plan's limit goes from $5,900 to $6,750. That's the most you'd pay for in-network care in a bad year, so it's worth checking yours before December 7.
Look up your county
Guilford County, 2026 vs. 2027
For 2027, Guilford County has 57 Medicare Advantage plans, down from 60, and the same number of $0-premium plans with drug coverage (34). The typical in-network out-of-pocket max goes up from $5,900 to $6,750.
- Medicare Advantage plans
- 60 in 2026, 57 in 2027
- With drug coverage and a $0 plan premium
- 34 in 2026, 34 in 2027
- PPO plans
- 33 in 2026, 30 in 2027
- HMO plans
- 27 in 2026, 27 in 2027
- Rated 4 stars or higher
- 39 in 2026, 37 in 2027
- Insurance companies offering plans
- 9 in 2026, 9 in 2027
- Typical in-network out-of-pocket max
- $5,900 in 2026, $6,750 in 2027
Counts don't include Special Needs Plans (40 in Guilford County for 2027) or employer plans. “Typical” is the median: half the plans are higher, half are lower.
The Triad at a glance
Medicare Advantage plans open to anyone with Medicare, 2026 compared with 2027.
| County | Plans | $0-premium plans | Typical out-of-pocket max |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guilford | 60 → 57 | 34 → 34 | $5,900 → $6,750 |
| Forsyth | 60 → 56 | 34 → 33 | $5,900 → $6,900 |
| Alamance | 55 → 53 | 30 → 31 | $6,200 → $7,150 |
| Davidson | 60 → 57 | 33 → 33 | $5,900 → $6,900 |
| Randolph | 55 → 54 | 30 → 32 | $6,200 → $6,900 |
| Rockingham | 53 → 53 | 28 → 31 | $6,200 → $6,900 |
| Davie | 56 → 55 | 30 → 32 | $6,050 → $6,900 |
| Stokes | 52 → 51 | 27 → 29 | $6,250 → $7,150 |
| Yadkin | 50 → 49 | 26 → 28 | $6,250 → $7,150 |
| Surry | 29 → 31 | 12 → 16 | $6,750 → $7,150 |
| Caswell | 46 → 46 | 23 → 25 | $6,500 → $7,325 |
| Granville | 33 → 32 | 14 → 16 | $6,750 → $7,950 |
Stand-alone drug plans
If you have Original Medicare with a separate Part D drug plan, there are 11 stand-alone drug plans in North Carolina for 2027 (12 in 2026). None has a $0 monthly premium. The lowest listed premium is $5.30 a month, up from $3.60. The premium is only part of the cost, though. What you pay at the pharmacy for your own drugs matters more, so compare plans with your actual prescriptions. How to compare drug plans.
What these numbers can't tell you
- Whether your plan continues. Your Annual Notice of Change letter says that. If your plan is ending, here's what to do.
- Whether your doctors and hospital are in a plan's network for 2027.
- What your prescriptions will cost on each plan.
- Which plan fits you. More plans isn't automatically better.
Those three checks are what a plan review is for: your doctors, your drugs, your budget. Annual Enrollment ends December 7, 2026.
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CY2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Landscape file (data updated October 18, 2026) and CY2026 Landscape file. Counts include Medicare Advantage plans open to anyone with Medicare in each county and exclude Special Needs Plans and employer group plans. The typical out-of-pocket max is the median in-network limit across those plans.
Common questions
- How many Medicare Advantage plans are in Guilford County for 2027?
- 57 Medicare Advantage plans are open to anyone with Medicare in Guilford County for 2027, compared with 60 in 2026. 34 of them include drug coverage and have a $0 monthly plan premium. You still pay your Part B premium. These counts come from the CMS 2027 Landscape file and leave out Special Needs Plans.
- How many Medicare Advantage plans are in Forsyth County for 2027?
- 56 for 2027, compared with 60 in 2026. 33 include drug coverage with a $0 monthly plan premium. The typical in-network out-of-pocket maximum goes from $5,900 to $6,900.
- Does this tell me if my plan is ending?
- No. A county count can't tell you whether your specific plan continues, because plans sometimes change their plan number from one year to the next. Your plan's Annual Notice of Change letter, mailed in September, says whether your plan continues. If your plan is ending, you get a special enrollment period through February 28, 2027.
- What does the out-of-pocket maximum mean?
- It's the most you'd pay in a year for covered, in-network medical care before the plan pays 100 percent. It doesn't include your premiums or prescription drugs, which have their own yearly limit. A higher maximum means more risk to you in a bad health year.
- Are there $0 premium stand-alone drug plans in North Carolina for 2027?
- No. The CMS file lists 11 stand-alone Part D drug plans in North Carolina for 2027, and none has a $0 total monthly premium. The lowest premium listed is $5.30. In 2026 the lowest was $3.60.
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Christian BrinkleyNC Life & Health · Greensboro, NC
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