Best Medicare Advantage Plans in North Carolina 2025
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About 2.2 million people in North Carolina are signed up for Medicare, making it the ninth-largest U.S. state for Medicare beneficiaries.
Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people age 65 and older. Medicare Advantage is a bundled alternative to Medicare sold by private insurance companies. It offers all the same benefits and usually some extras, such as cost savings on dental and vision coverage.
Medicare Advantage plans offer more benefits than Original Medicare, and they can be cheaper than paying for Medicare and a Medicare Supplement plan. However, they have less flexibility since you’ll need to get care from within the plan’s network of providers. Weigh your options to determine which plan best suits your needs.
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Compare the best Medicare Advantage plans in North Carolina
Top-rated Medicare Advantage plans in North Carolina
Each year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) awards every Medicare Advantage plan a star rating on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being a top-rated plan. Below are companies with plans that received top marks in North Carolina for the 2025 plan year. (Check out more information about Medicare star ratings.)
5-star plans
The company below offers plans in North Carolina that are rated 5 stars out of 5 by CMS:
4.5-star plans
The companies below offer plans in North Carolina that are rated 4.5 stars out of 5 by CMS:
Care N' Care Insurance Company of North Carolina.
4-star plans
The companies below offer plans in North Carolina that are rated 4 stars out of 5 by CMS:
Aetna.
Care N' Care Insurance Company of North Carolina.
Experience Health.
FirstMedicare Direct.
UnitedHealthcare.
This list doesn't include special needs plans, which restrict membership to people with certain diseases or characteristics, such as having a chronic illness or living in a nursing home.
What to know about Medicare Advantage in North Carolina
More than 1 in 6 people in North Carolina are 65 and older, and there are a wide variety of Medicare Advantage plans in the state.
The average monthly premium in 2025 for a Medicare Advantage plan in North Carolina is $18.81. (It was $16.27 in 2024.)
There are 163 Medicare Advantage plans available in North Carolina in 2025. (This number is down from 180 plans in 2024.)
All Medicare-eligible people in North Carolina have access to a $0-premium Medicare Advantage plan.
Third-party ratings
In its 2024 U.S. Medicare Advantage Study — the 10th it's done so far — J.D. Power measured member satisfaction with Medicare Advantage plans based on eight factors ranging from level of trust to how well a provider resolves problems or complaints. The study was fielded in the 10 biggest Medicare markets, including North Carolina.
In North Carolina, these Medicare Advantage providers scored above the regional average (665 points) on measures of member satisfaction (based on a 1,000-point scale):
UnitedHealthcare (690 points).
Aetna (680 points).
Medicare resources in North Carolina
Medicare and Seniors’ Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP): Provides resources and information about Medicare plans, costs and financial assistance.
North Carolina Senior Medicare Patrol (NCSMP): Provides information on identifying and preventing health care errors, fraud and abuse for Medicare beneficiaries and their caregivers and how to report such cases.
💬 From our Nerds: What Medicare Advantage plans are rated the best in North Carolina?
“In North Carolina, you can find 5-star Medicare Advantage plans from Alignment Health Plan. There are also 4.5-star plans available from Aetna, BCBS of North Carolina, Care N’ Care, Devoted Health and UnitedHealthcare.
“That said, not every plan from these companies gets high ratings, and even a plan with a high rating may not be the right fit for you. Compare your options and keep your doctors and prescriptions in mind.”
— Kate Ashford, lead writer covering Medicare
Find the right Medicare Advantage plan
It’s important to do your research before selecting a Medicare Advantage plan for yourself. Here are some questions to consider asking:
What are the plan’s costs? Do you understand what the plan’s premium, deductibles, copays and/or coinsurance will be? Can you afford them?
Is your doctor in-network? If you have a preferred medical provider or providers, make sure they participate in the plan’s network.
Are your prescriptions covered? If you’re on medication, it’s crucial to understand how the plan covers it. What tier are your prescription drugs on, and are there any coverage rules that apply to them?
Is there dental coverage? Does the plan offer routine coverage for vision, dental and hearing needs?
Are there extras? Does the plan offer any extra benefits, such as fitness memberships, transportation benefits or meal delivery?
Looking for additional insurance in North Carolina? Check out these resources:
Medicare Advantage review methodology
The Medicare Advantage marketplace is concentrated among just a handful of companies; in many places, one insurer serves more than half of the market. NerdWallet reviewed 26 Medicare Advantage brands, with some insurers having more than one brand under their umbrella. (For example, Blue Cross Blue Shield includes the brands Anthem and Highmark.) At the national level, these reviews include nine of the 10 largest brands by enrollment. At the state level, our research includes at least one major insurer in 47 of the 49 states that offer Medicare Advantage plans, and includes the top two insurers in 35 of those states. (Alaska doesn't offer Medicare Advantage plans.) We also look at online search volume to identify regional and other notable players in the space.
NerdWallet’s Medicare Advantage reviews are based on ratings data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, as well as pricing, plan availability by state, plan types available, consumer experience, extra benefits offered and more. These reviews are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several plans to find the best coverage and rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines for additional information.
This roundup includes only insurers that sell Medicare Advantage in North Carolina.
