Health insurance options in Wilmington
Residents of Wilmington and New Hanover County buy coverage from two markets: HealthCare.gov, with guaranteed-issue plans from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, Ambetter, Aetna CVS Health, and UnitedHealthcare priced on income, and the private shared-network market, with PPO plans on Cigna, Aetna and PHCS PPO priced on health. Most people in Wilmington have only been shown the first.
What it costs in Wilmington
A healthy 40-year-old in Wilmington pays roughly $550–$850 a month full price on the marketplace in 2026, or roughly $320–$480 on a private PPO. A family of four: roughly $1,500–$2,500 marketplace full price versus $800–$1,300 private. Prices depend on age, deductible and health; see live numbers on the quoting tool.
Keeping your Wilmington doctors
Marketplace plans in North Carolina are increasingly HMOs tied to one hospital system. The Cigna, Aetna and PHCS PPO PPO networks include most major providers in New Hanover County and work in every state — we check your specific doctors before you enroll.
The North Carolina factor
Medicaid expansion in late 2023 moved hundreds of thousands of lower-income North Carolinians onto Medicaid — which means the people still shopping are mostly above the subsidy range. North Carolina has no state individual mandate.