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2026 Medicare Advantage Plans in Wilmington, NC — New Hanover County Guide

New Hanover County has 50 Medicare Advantage plans for plan year 2026 — one of the largest plan markets in eastern North Carolina, with an average premium of $14.20/month. Here is what beneficiaries in Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, and Castle Hayne need to know before the next enrollment window opens.

Price Services Group Data Desk

Published 2026-06-27 · 8 min read · Sourced from CMS.gov, Medicare.gov, and County Health Rankings 2024

New Hanover County has 50 Medicare Advantage plans for plan year 2026

New Hanover County — which includes Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, and Castle Hayne — has 50 Medicare Advantage plans available for plan year 2026. That figure comes from the CMS Plan Year 2026 Medicare Advantage and Part D Landscape public-use file, which CMS releases each fall ahead of the Annual Enrollment Period.

Medicare Advantage (Medicare Part C) plans are offered by private insurers approved by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). They replace Original Medicare (Parts A and B) and typically bundle Part D drug coverage alongside extra benefits — dental cleanings, eye exams, hearing aids, over-the-counter allowances, and non-emergency transportation are common additions. Beneficiaries continue to pay their standard Part B premium in addition to any plan-level premium; check Medicare.gov for the current Part B premium amount, which CMS announces each fall.

With 50 plans available, New Hanover County has a larger and more competitive plan market than most of eastern NC. More competition typically means more plan types, more carriers, and more downward pressure on premiums — which explains why the county average of $14.20/month is significantly lower than rural neighbors.

Source: CMS Plan Year 2026 Medicare Advantage Landscape. Data reflects New Hanover County, NC — county-level plan counts, average premiums, and star rating distribution.

Which carriers offer Medicare Advantage plans in New Hanover County

Six major carriers offer Medicare Advantage plans in New Hanover County for 2026. Plan types, premiums, drug formularies, and provider networks differ significantly between carriers — and between individual plans within the same carrier. The table below identifies active carriers and their primary plan types. "Leads county enrollment" reflects CMS enrollment data, not an endorsement or quality ranking.

Source: CMS PY2026 Medicare Advantage Landscape. Carrier enrollment rank reflects CMS PY2026 county-level data. We do not offer every plan available in your area.

What each plan type means for your costs

• HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) — You use in-network providers; out-of-network care is typically not covered except in emergencies. Usually the lowest premiums.
• HMO-POS (Point of Service) — An HMO with limited out-of-network access at a higher cost-share. More flexibility than a strict HMO.
• PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) — You can see any Medicare-accepting provider; out-of-network care costs more but is covered. Typically higher premiums than HMOs.
• SNP (Special Needs Plan) — Designed for specific populations: D-SNPs for dual-eligible beneficiaries, C-SNPs for chronic conditions. See the SNP section below.

How New Hanover County compares to neighboring counties

If you live near a county boundary — or recently moved — plan availability and premiums can shift significantly. CMS assigns Medicare Advantage availability by county, not by ZIP code or city name. The table below compares New Hanover to the other eastern NC counties in our service area for plan year 2026.

Source: CMS Plan Year 2026 Medicare Advantage Landscape. Plan counts and average premiums reflect county-level CMS data. Average stars weighted by plan enrollment where available.

Two things stand out in this comparison. First, New Hanover County's $14.20/month average is driven by the larger, more competitive Wilmington urban market — more carriers bidding for enrollees pushes premiums down. Second, rural counties such as Sampson ($25.93) and Jones ($27.40) show the cost impact of thinner insurance markets, where fewer carriers compete. If you're a Leland resident considering a move, note that Leland is in Brunswick County (43 plans, $18.40/mo), not New Hanover.

Novant Health, local hospitals, and plan networks

Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center — located at 2131 S 17th St, Wilmington — is New Hanover County's primary hospital system and holds a 3-star overall quality rating on Medicare.gov Care Compare (2024 data). Plan network participation must be verified directly before you enroll; it changes annually.

For Medicare Advantage, this verification step is not optional. If you choose an HMO plan and your hospital is out of network, you'll pay out-of-pocket for non-emergency admissions. Before enrolling in any plan:

1. Call your preferred doctors, specialists, and Novant Health directly and ask: "Do you accept [plan name]?"
2. Check the plan's online provider directory (CMS requires carriers to update directories monthly).
3. Call 1-800-MEDICARE or your state's SHIP program (NC SHIIP: 1-855-408-1212) for free, unbiased help comparing networks.

PPO plans are more forgiving of network issues — you can see any Medicare-accepting provider, though costs are lower in-network. If you frequently see specialists at Novant and network stability is a priority, a PPO may be worth the higher premium.

Hospital rating: Medicare.gov Care Compare, accessed 2024. Network participation is plan-specific and changes annually — always verify before enrolling.

Special Needs Plans (SNPs) in New Hanover County

New Hanover County has 24 Special Needs Plans (SNPs) for plan year 2026. SNPs are Medicare Advantage plans tailored to specific populations:

• D-SNP (Dual-Eligible SNP) — For people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. D-SNPs coordinate benefits across both programs and often include $0 premiums, enhanced drug coverage, transportation, and meal benefits. If you're dual-eligible, a D-SNP often covers more of your costs than a standard Medicare Advantage plan.
• C-SNP (Chronic Condition SNP) — For beneficiaries with specific chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart failure, COPD, or end-stage renal disease. C-SNPs build benefits around managing those conditions — specialist copays, disease management programs, and drug formularies designed for common condition medications.
• I-SNP (Institutional SNP) — For people living in a nursing facility or requiring institutional-level care at home.

If you have diabetes or heart disease and are enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid, New Hanover County's 24 SNPs give you meaningful options. Contact NC Medicaid or call 1-800-MEDICARE to determine your eligibility and which SNPs are available in your specific ZIP code.

Local health conditions that shape plan choice in New Hanover County

Premium alone should not drive your plan decision. Your health profile — medications, specialists you see, how often you use the hospital — determines your actual annual cost under any plan. New Hanover County's health picture, from County Health Rankings 2024 (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation / University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute), shows several conditions that directly affect plan costs:

Source: County Health Rankings 2024, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation / University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

What these numbers mean for plan choice:

• Diabetes (11.5%): Review the plan's drug formulary for your specific insulin and oral medications. Look at endocrinologist specialist copays. A C-SNP may be available and worth comparing.
• Obesity (33.4%): Associated with higher rates of joint disease, cardiovascular disease, and sleep apnea — all requiring specialist care. A PPO offers more flexibility if you see multiple specialists.
• Uninsured (13.2%): If you're aging into Medicare from an uninsured gap, your first-year healthcare use may be higher than average. Plans with lower deductibles and richer preventive care benefits often provide better value in year one.

When you can enroll or switch a Medicare Advantage plan

CMS enforces strict enrollment windows. Outside of qualifying events, you cannot generally enroll or switch Medicare Advantage plans on an arbitrary date.

One window unique to new enrollees: the Medigap Open Enrollment Period runs for 6 months from the date your Part B coverage begins. During this window, you can buy a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy from any insurer in NC without medical underwriting — meaning they cannot deny coverage or charge more based on your health history. Once that window closes, most NC insurers can rate-up or decline Medigap applicants based on health. See our guide to Medigap vs. Medicare Advantage in eastern NC for a side-by-side comparison of the two coverage paths.

Your next step: compare plans in your Wilmington ZIP code

County-level averages give you context, but your actual plan choice depends on your specific ZIP code, health conditions, preferred doctors, and medications. Here is how to proceed:

1. Go to Medicare.gov Plan Finder and enter your ZIP code — not just "Wilmington." Different ZIPs within New Hanover County may show slightly different plan availability.
2. Filter by plan type (HMO, PPO, SNP) and star rating (consider 4★+ only to start).
3. Enter your current medications to compare drug coverage and total drug costs under each plan.
4. Check network participation for Novant Health NHRMC and your primary care doctor before selecting a plan.
5. Call a licensed local Medicare agent at (910) 631-1578 for a side-by-side comparison of the plans we offer in New Hanover County.

For hyper-local plan details, see our dedicated pages for Wilmington, NC, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, and Castle Hayne. For a comparison with our home county, see our guide to Medicare in Sampson County, NC.

Sources: CMS Plan Year 2026 Medicare Advantage Landscape · Medicare.gov Care Compare — hospital quality ratings · County Health Rankings 2024, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation · Medicare.gov Plan Finder. Price Services Group, L.L.C. is an independent licensed insurance agency — not connected with or endorsed by the United States government or the federal Medicare program. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), or your local State Health Insurance Program (NC SHIIP: 1-855-408-1212) to get information on all of your options. This article is for general information only — not medical, insurance, tax, or legal advice. Plan year 2026. Eligibility, costs, and plan availability vary by location. Confirm details at Medicare.gov and consult a licensed agent before enrolling.