Private PPO Health Insurance
in North Carolina

North Carolina made a major change at the end of 2023: it expanded Medicaid. That shifted who marketplace and private coverage are really built for here. Here's how private PPO coverage fits into North Carolina's health insurance landscape today.

What We Actually Sell

Castro Coverage specializes in private PPO health insurance: broad nationwide networks, not a narrow local HMO panel, with rates based on your own health profile rather than a flat community rate. For healthy North Carolinians who don't qualify for Medicaid and want more network flexibility than a marketplace HMO plan, that's a meaningfully different option.

• Nationwide PPO networks with far more provider choice than a narrow marketplace HMO
• Rates priced on a preferred-health basis — the pricing model rewards healthy applicants specifically
• Low-to-$0 deductible structures available on select plans (plan-specific, always confirmed before you enroll)
• Many plans include telehealth access alongside in-person care

North Carolina's Marketplace Landscape in 2026

North Carolina residents shop for ACA marketplace plans through the federal HealthCare.gov exchange. What's changed is Medicaid: North Carolina's expansion took effect December 1, 2023, and by mid-2025 an estimated 669,000-plus residents were covered through it — adults up to 138% of the federal poverty level with no coverage gap left for that group.

On the marketplace side, 2026 brought real disruption: three carriers exited North Carolina's individual market (Aetna CVS Health, CareSource, and Celtic/WellCare), leaving Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC as the only insurer offering marketplace plans in all 100 counties. Combined with the expiration of enhanced federal subsidies at the end of 2025, insurers are projecting marketplace enrollment could fall by roughly a third for 2026.

General market information as of 2026, not a quote or guarantee for any specific plan. Marketplace rules, carrier participation, and subsidy eligibility change year to year — always confirm current details for your situation.

Why Private PPO Often Fits Better Here

If you're healthy, self-employed, or running a business in North Carolina and you're above the Medicaid income threshold, a medically-underwritten private PPO plan is frequently priced better than an equivalent marketplace plan — because community rating on the marketplace charges everyone in your area and age band the same rate regardless of health, while a private plan prices to your actual risk. With fewer marketplace carriers to choose from in 2026, a broader private PPO network is worth a real look.

How It Works

• Tell us your situation — health, budget, and what matters most in a network.
• We compare private PPO plans and marketplace options side by side, across 50+ carriers.
• You pick a plan, we handle enrollment. Zero cost to you, zero pressure.