Editorial standards

Who writes and reviews this site

NorthCarolinaMedicare.org is published by Benefits Life, a licensed insurance agency and Medicare third-party marketing organization based in Denver, Colorado. Pages are written and reviewed by the Benefits Life Editorial Team, whose members are licensed insurance agents. Each page says "Reviewed by Benefits Life Editorial Team" with the review date. Team members licensed in North Carolina are listed on the About page with their National Producer Numbers, which you can check with the NAIC license lookup.

Official sources first

• Federal rules and data: CMS, Medicare.gov, Social Security, the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), plus CMS data files such as the plan Landscape files, monthly enrollment reports and hospital data.
• North Carolina law: the General Statutes and session laws on ncleg.gov, and the North Carolina Administrative Code from the Office of Administrative Hearings. We say clearly when something is a bill and not yet law.
• North Carolina agencies: the North Carolina Department of Insurance (NCDOI) for Medigap rules, insurance complaints and agent licensing; NCDHHS and NC Medicaid for Medicaid, the MQB programs, CAP/DA, PACE and Special Assistance, including NC Medicaid's eligibility manuals; and the NCDHHS Division of Aging for area agencies on aging and the long-term care ombudsman.
• Retiree coverage: the State Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees and the Department of State Treasurer's Retirement Systems Division, from their own published guides and pages. We describe how their coverage works with Medicare and link to their current amounts rather than repeating them.
• Other federal programs that touch Medicare in North Carolina: TRICARE, the VA, OPM, FEMA, the Indian Health Service and the Department of the Interior.
• Research and context: KFF.

Every page lists its sources at the bottom. If we can't confirm something from an official source, we leave it out.

Numbers come from the data, not from memory

Dollar amounts (premiums, deductibles, limits) come from the figures CMS and the IRS publish each year, kept in one data file, so a change updates every page at once. When CMS hasn't published next year's amount yet, we give the current year's and say so. Plan, company and special needs plan counts for North Carolina and each of its 100 counties come straight from CMS files and name the file and month. See North Carolina Medicare by the numbers.

What we don't do

• We don't rank, rate or recommend specific plans, and we don't show plans' premiums, cost sharing, star ratings or benefits.
• We don't name insurance companies in our guides. Company names appear only with CMS data and its citation, such as the companies whose plans end in 2027 on plans ending in 2027.
• We don't print the State Health Plan's premiums or copays; we describe its options and link to the Plan.
• We aren't connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government, the federal Medicare program, the State of North Carolina, NC Medicaid or the State Health Plan.

Review schedule and corrections

Each page shows the date the Editorial Team last reviewed it. We review pages:

• every fall, when CMS publishes the next year's amounts and plan data and Open Enrollment begins;
• in January, when new amounts take effect, and in the spring, when NC Medicaid updates its income limits for the MQB programs and other Medicaid groups;
• whenever a federal rule, a North Carolina law or rule, or the State Health Plan's Medicare options change, including when the General Assembly passes a bill we've described;
• after a hurricane or other declared disaster, when special enrollment and prescription rules may apply.

If you find a mistake, write to Benefits Life, 1616 17th Street, Suite 464, Denver, CO 80202. We check the source, correct the page and update its reviewed date.

How the site is paid for

Benefits Life works with independent licensed insurance agents and agencies. When they enroll beneficiaries in plans, the agent and Benefits Life may be paid by the insurance company. That relationship is disclosed next to every agent listing and on the About page. It doesn't change what the guides say: they explain the rules the same way whatever plan you choose, including Original Medicare with Medigap, and point you to Medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE for information on all of your options.

Sources

• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
• Federal Register — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
• eCFR — 42 CFR Part 422, Subpart V (Medicare Advantage communication requirements)
• KFF — Medicare
• North Carolina General Assembly — General Statutes
• North Carolina Department of Insurance
• North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
• NC Medicaid
• State Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees
• North Carolina Department of State Treasurer — Retirement Systems
• NAIC — Insurance license lookup

Frequently asked questions

Medicare in your North Carolina county

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