What did Atrium Health and the State Health Plan agree to?
Atrium Health and the State Health Plan, which has 750,000 members, announced a new multi year contract on October 27, 2026. The Plan will add all remaining Atrium hospitals and physicians to its in network Access tier.
| Topic | What the Plan and Atrium say |
|---|---|
| Network | In network Access tier coverage for all currently existing Atrium hospitals and specialty care services |
| Contract | Multi year |
| Atrium's Affordability Protection Program | Atrium will end it when the agreement takes effect |
| The Plan's legal complaint | It will be withdrawn |
| State Health Plan open enrollment | Ends November 6 |
| Humana Medicare Advantage plans | The announcement does not affect members enrolled in them |
WFAE reported that the dispute began in July, when the Plan chose Novant Health and UNC Health as preferred providers, and that the Plan had first placed Atrium in its non preferred tier. In September a limited agreement moved some Atrium rural facilities and its children's hospital into the Access tier.
This agreement covers the State Health Plan only. A Medicare Advantage or marketplace plan has its own contract with each hospital system, so use the lists below for those.
Which Medicare Advantage plans do Atrium and Novant list?
The two systems list overlapping but different companies. A company missing from a list is not listed, so ask before you enroll.
| Plan company | Atrium Health | Novant Health |
|---|---|---|
| Aetna Medicare Advantage | Listed | Listed, except Aetna Medicare Prime HMO |
| Blue Medicare (Blue Cross NC) | Listed | Listed |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina | Listed | Listed on its South Carolina list |
| Devoted Health | Listed | Listed |
| HealthSpring | Listed | Listed |
| HealthTeam Advantage | Listed | Listed, all products offered |
| Humana Medicare Advantage | Listed | Listed |
| UnitedHealthcare and AARP | Listed | Listed |
| Wellcare | Listed | Not on its Medicare list |
Both systems say not every plan is sold in every county and tell you to confirm with the plan. Atrium says it accepts Original Medicare, Medigap and the listed Medicare Advantage plans.
Use the plan's 2027 directory for your own doctors, because a company can keep its name and still change networks from year to year.
Which marketplace plans include Atrium and Novant?
In Charlotte the plan name matters more than the insurer. One Blue Cross NC plan, Blue Local, is listed by Atrium as including Atrium, while Novant lists it as a plan that does not include Novant.
| Marketplace plan | Atrium Health (2026 list) | Novant Health (2027 list) |
|---|---|---|
| Ambetter of North Carolina | Listed, with Atrium Health | Greater Wilmington area only. Listed as not including Novant in select markets outside Wilmington |
| Blue Advantage | Listed | Listed |
| Blue Care | Listed | Listed |
| Blue Local | Listed, with Atrium Health | Listed as not including Novant |
| Blue Value | Columbus Regional Healthcare System only | Listed |
| Blue Home with Novant Health | Not on the list | Listed |
| Oscar Health | Listed (new in 2026, Charlotte metro) | Listed |
| UnitedHealthcare individual plans | Listed | Listed |
| AmeriHealth Caritas Next | Not on the list | Listed as not including Novant |
Atrium's list is for 2026 and Atrium has not published a 2027 list, so ask Atrium or the plan before you rely on it. Healthinsurance.org reports that five insurers sell marketplace plans in North Carolina for 2027: Ambetter, AmeriHealth Caritas, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC, Oscar and UnitedHealthcare. Cigna is not offering marketplace coverage in 2027.
Open enrollment runs from November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. Pick a plan by December 15, 2026 for coverage that starts January 1.
How many people in Mecklenburg County use the marketplace?
| Measure | Mecklenburg County | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| People who picked a plan | 111,600 | 761,457 |
| Received a premium tax credit | 88.1% | 87.1% |
| Paid $10 a month or less after credits | 37.6% | 29.5% |
| Picked a bronze plan | 65.4% | 63.9% |
| Picked a gold plan | 4.7% | 5.6% |
- Before credits
- After credits
- Mecklenburg CountyBefore credits: $637After credits: $138
- North CarolinaBefore credits: $755After credits: $181
Source: CMS 2026 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period public use files
These are 2026 numbers. Your 2027 price depends on your income, your household and the plans sold where you live.
Census estimates put Charlotte at 964,784 residents, with 11.0% age 65 or older and 24.1% of residents age 5 and older speaking a language other than English at home. Among people under 65, 14.2% in Charlotte and 11.2% in Mecklenburg County have no health insurance.
What can I do if my doctor is not in my plan?
Compare plans during Medicare's annual enrollment period, October 15 to December 7, 2026, or during marketplace open enrollment. A Medicare change you make by December 7 starts January 1.
- Look up your doctors and your hospital in the 2027 directory of the exact plan, not only the company.
- Ask your doctor's office which plans it accepts for 2027.
- If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1, you can make one change from January 1 to March 31, 2027.
- SHIIP (Seniors' Health Insurance Information Program), North Carolina's free Medicare counseling program, can compare your choices with you.
If you are on the State Health Plan, its own open enrollment ends November 6, so use the Plan's member alert and tier list before then.
How can a Charlotte agent help with hospital network questions?
An agent can look up Atrium Health, Novant Health and your doctors in each 2027 plan you are considering, and point out the plan name that makes the difference. Have your insurance card, your doctors' names and your prescriptions ready.
Health Insurance Solutions agents are licensed in 22 states and help by phone and online. Marketplace plans cost the same with or without an agent, so the comparison does not add to your premium.
Insurers and hospitals mentioned
Explore the organizations or brands discussed in this article. A mention does not mean every plan or location is covered.
- Hospital · North CarolinaColumbus Regional Healthcare System
- Insurer · North CarolinaAmbetter of North Carolina
- Insurer · North CarolinaAmeriHealth Caritas Next
- Insurer · North CarolinaBlue Cross and Blue Shield of NC
- Insurer · North CarolinaUnitedHealthcare
- Medicare Advantage · North CarolinaAetna Medicare
- Medicare Advantage · North CarolinaDevoted Health
- Medicare Advantage · North CarolinaHealthSpring
- Medicare Advantage · North CarolinaHealthTeam Advantage
- Medicare Advantage · North CarolinaHumana
- Medicare Advantage · North CarolinaUnitedHealthcare
- Medicare Advantage · North CarolinaWellcare
- Small-group insurer · North CarolinaBlue Cross and Blue Shield of NC
- Small-group insurer · North CarolinaUnitedHealthcare Insurance Company
- Small-group insurer · North CarolinaUnitedHealthcare of North Carolina, Inc
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