Guilford & Forsyth counties · Piedmont Triad
Can I keep my doctor?
It's the first question almost everyone asks me — and it's the right one. But the answer has a trap in it, and the trap catches people every fall during Annual Enrollment.
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Here it is: “my doctor takes Medicare” and “my doctor is in my plan's network” are two different things. A doctor can accept Medicare patients generally and still not be in-network for your specific Medicare Advantage plan. If you enroll based on the first statement and the reality is the second, you find out at the worst possible moment.
I'm Christian Brinkley, a licensed Medicare agent in Greensboro. Here's how I tell folks across Guilford and Forsyth counties to check properly — before they enroll, not after. Want the general step-by-step? Read the full keep-your-doctor guide.
The two things you have to verify
1. Does the doctor accept Medicare? Most doctors do. This is the easy question and usually a yes.
2. Is the doctor in-network for the specific plan you're considering? This is the question that matters for Medicare Advantage. Advantage plans have networks — lists of doctors and hospitals they've contracted with. Go out of network and you may pay more, or the plan may not cover the visit at all (depending on the plan type).
With Original Medicare plus a supplement, the picture is simpler: any doctor that accepts Medicare assignment takes it, anywhere in the country. That's one of the genuine tradeoffs between the two paths — here's how Advantage and Medigap compare — and it's worth understanding before you choose.
How to actually check (5 steps)
- 1
Get the plan's provider directory — the current one
Every Medicare Advantage plan publishes a directory of in-network doctors. Use the one for the plan year you're enrolling in (2027, during this fall's Annual Enrollment), not last year's. Directories change.
- 2
Search the directory yourself
Look up each of your doctors by name — your primary care physician and every specialist you see regularly. Don't stop at the practice name; confirm the individual doctor.
- 3
Call the plan and confirm
Directories have errors. It happens more than anyone admits. Call the plan's member services number and ask directly: "Is Dr. [Name] in-network for [exact plan name] in 2027?" Write down the date, the name of the person you spoke with, and what they said.
- 4
Call your doctor's office and confirm from their side
Ask the front desk: "Do you participate in [exact plan name] for 2027?" Bring the plan's full name, not just the insurance company's name — one company sells many plans with different networks.
- 5
Recheck every fall
Networks change during Annual Enrollment. A doctor who was in-network this year can leave a network next year. This check isn't one-and-done; it's part of your annual review.
Why this matters more in the Triad
Greensboro, High Point, and Winston-Salem are served by large health systems — Cone Health, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Novant Health — and each contracts with different Medicare Advantage plans. That means the network question here isn't abstract: the hospital you'd go to in an emergency and the specialists your neighbors recommend may sit in different plans' networks.
It's also why county matters. Medicare Advantage and Part D plans are sold by county — Greensboro and most of High Point are in Guilford County, Winston-Salem is in Forsyth County, and the plan lists can differ. We check the plans available at your home address, not your neighbor's.
Which brings up the shakiest way to pick a plan: “my neighbor loves hers.” Your neighbor sees different doctors, takes different prescriptions, and goes to different facilities. The right plan is the one whose network includes your doctors — which is exactly what the five steps above verify.
What I'd do in your shoes
If keeping your current doctors is your top priority, start there and work backward: confirm who's in-network first, then compare costs among the plans that pass the test. If you're flexible on doctors and focused on total cost, run the numbers first — here's what Medicare costs — and then verify the network. Either order works. Skipping the network check doesn't.
And if this feels like a lot of phone calls: that's genuinely part of what I do. When folks sit down with me for a fall review — book one here — we check their doctors together. It's free, and it's one of the highest-value 30 minutes in the whole process. You can also review the full annual enrollment guide for everything else the fall window covers.
Call or text me at (336) 365-7422, Monday–Saturday 8:00–7:00 — you'll reach me, not a call center.
Common questions
- My doctor says they "take Medicare." Am I covered?
- If you have Original Medicare, generally yes. If you have (or are considering) a Medicare Advantage plan, not necessarily — you need to confirm they're in that specific plan's network.
- What happens if I see an out-of-network doctor on a Medicare Advantage plan?
- It depends on the plan type. HMO plans typically don't cover out-of-network care except emergencies. PPO plans usually cover it but at a higher cost to you. Check your plan's documents — or ask me and we'll look together.
- Do provider networks change every year?
- They can. Plans renegotiate contracts with doctors and hospitals annually, which is why the network check belongs in your fall review every single year.
- I have Original Medicare with a Medigap plan. Do I need to worry about networks?
- Much less. Any provider that accepts Medicare assignment takes Original Medicare, nationwide. That's one of the structural differences between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage.
- Can you check my doctors for me?
- Yes — bring your doctor list to a free review and we'll verify each one against the plans you're considering. Call or text (336) 365-7422.
Medicare help in your community
Let's check your doctors together
Bring your doctor list to a free review — in person around Greensboro or by phone — and we'll verify each one against the plans you're considering.
Free consultation in person or by phone. Calls and appointments 8am to 7pm, Monday through Saturday, Eastern time.