Health insurance plans in Wake County, North Carolina (2027)

• 3carriers selling 2027 marketplace plans in Wake County
• 44plans on the Wake shelf, from 15 bronze to 12 gold
• $566benchmark silver for a 40 year old in Wake, full price per month

Who sells marketplace plans in Wake County

Wake County has fewer carriers than Mecklenburg County, the other North Carolina county I track, three against four. Across all 79 counties and parishes I track, 58 have more carriers than Wake. Ambetter of North Carolina alone accounts for 19 of the 44 plans in Wake, 43 percent of the shelf, so a lot of what you see when you shop is one company's lineup in different metal levels.

Wake plan counts from the CMS 2027 landscape file (county FIPS 37183, Rating Area 13). Bronze includes expanded bronze, and companies CMS lists under more than one legal issuer are grouped with the legal names underneath.

What changed in Wake County for 2027

What it costs in Wake County before any subsidy

These are the full monthly prices, before any premium tax credit, for the cheapest Wake plan at each metal level. I show the sticker price because it is what your subsidy is subtracted from, and most people who enroll in Wake pay less, often a lot less.

Benchmark silver is the second lowest of the 17 silver premiums listed for Wake. The last column is two adults aged 40 plus two children.

What these numbers mean if you live in Wake County

Wake County is one of 32 of the 79 counties and parishes on my list where the metal levels are priced in the order you would expect. The cheapest gold at 40 is $631, which is $65 above the benchmark silver and $70 above the cheapest silver. In Wake the extra gold premium pays for a lower deductible rather than coming free.

In Wake County the benchmark is $71 above the cheapest bronze at age 40, and one of the other 78 counties and parishes I track has a narrower one. That gap decides whether bronze can be free, because your subsidy is the $566 benchmark minus what the government expects you to pay from your income. A 40 year old in Wake whose expected share is $71 a month or less would pay nothing for the cheapest bronze. At 60 the Wake gap grows to $150 and at 21 it shrinks to $55, which is why older enrollees are the ones most likely to find a $0 plan.

Mecklenburg County, around Charlotte, is the other North Carolina county I track. Compared with Mecklenburg County, the Wake benchmark is $60 lower at 40 and the cheapest bronze is $12 lower. Oscar sells in Mecklenburg County and not in Wake.

Wake plans by metal level, network and deductible

There is not a single PPO on the 2027 marketplace in Wake County. The 44 plans split into 34 HMO and 10 EPO. Outside emergencies, the 10 EPO and 34 HMO plans in Wake generally pay nothing out of network, so the network list matters more than the premium. 9 plans in Wake have a $0 medical deductible (4 expanded bronze, 3 gold and 2 silver). The 4 bronze ones among them still have out of pocket maximums of $11,900 to $12,000, so a $0 deductible does not mean a small bill.

2027 plans for Wake County

These are the 2027 plans and prices for Wake County, from the CMS plan file released at the end of October 2026. Open enrollment for 2027 coverage in North Carolina runs from November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027, and December 15 is the last day to pick a plan that starts January 1. If you already have a Wake plan, compare before you let it renew, because your carrier and your benchmark may both have changed.

Questions about Wake County coverage

More for Wake County residents

• Health insurance brokers in North Carolina, how to choose one and what it costs
• Every 2027 carrier change in North Carolina
• How Wake compares with the other 78 counties and parishes I track
• Estimate a Wake subsidy