Honorbrook Insurance is an independent agency licensed in North Carolina, helping Forsyth County residents choose Medicare, ACA, life and retirement coverage by phone or video call. Our help is free to you, and because we are independent, we compare plans from many carriers instead of selling one company’s products.
Medicare in Forsyth County
Forsyth County includes Winston-Salem, the county seat, along with Kernersville, Clemmons and Lewisville. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 population estimates, about 68,335 Forsyth County residents are age 65 or older, so choosing the right Medicare coverage is a decision many of your neighbors are making too. Whether you are turning 65, retiring, or reviewing your current plan, we can walk through your choices with you on a call at a time that suits you.
Major hospitals and health systems serving the county include Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem. Medicare Advantage and Part D plan availability and provider networks are set county by county, and they can change every year. Original Medicare (Parts A and B) is the same nationwide, but the private plans you can add to it are not. That is why we check the plans offered where you live and confirm that your doctors and pharmacy are included before you enroll.
Forsyth County Medicare at a glance
| Forsyth County | North Carolina | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents age 65 and older | 68,335 | 1,908,489 statewide |
| Share of residents age 65+ | 17.4% | 17.6% statewide |
| People with Medicare | 83,483 | 2,336,840 statewide |
| Enrolled in Medicare Advantage | 57,850 | 1,353,169 statewide |
| Medicare Advantage share | 69.3% | 57.9% statewide |
Data: U.S. Census Bureau (2023 population estimates); CMS, September 2026. Medicare Advantage share is enrollees divided by people with Medicare.
With roughly 68,335 residents age 65 and older, Forsyth County is 4th among 100 North Carolina counties for older residents. That group is 17.4% of its population, compared with 17.6% across North Carolina. The 25,130 residents now between 60 and 64 will become Medicare-eligible soon, and our turning 65 guide walks through it. Census 2023 estimates show 59% of the 65-plus population is under 75, 31% is 75 to 84 and 10% is 85 or older. CMS data show 69.3% of Forsyth County residents with Medicare chose Medicare Advantage, which is higher than the 57.9% average across North Carolina. A county average does not tell you which kind of plan fits you. Whether Medicare Advantage or Original Medicare with a Medigap plan is the better fit depends on your doctors, your prescriptions and how you want to handle costs, so we compare both for your ZIP code.
Who has Medicare in Forsyth County
The U.S. Department of Agriculture classifies Forsyth County as a metro county (counties in metro areas of 250,000 to 1 million population). Counties like this tend to have a wider choice of hospitals and Medicare plans than rural ones, though networks still differ plan by plan.
CMS counts 82,685 Medicare beneficiaries in Forsyth County (2023). Their average age is 72, about the same as the North Carolina average of 73. About 13% are “dual eligible,” meaning they have both Medicare and Medicaid, close to the state figure of 13%.
Among people in Original Medicare in Forsyth County, CMS reported about 602 emergency room visits and 225 inpatient hospital stays per 1,000 beneficiaries in 2023, which is close to the state average for emergency visits (572) and close to it for hospital stays (210). About 8% received home health care. These figures describe how people use care under Original Medicare; they do not show what any plan covers or costs.
Sources: CMS Medicare Geographic Variation, 2023; USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Codes, 2023.
Communities and ZIP codes in Forsyth County
The largest communities in Forsyth County by 2023 Census population estimates are Winston-Salem (252,975), Kernersville (27,450), Clemmons (22,159), Lewisville (14,002), Walkertown (5,950), Rural Hall (3,513). Each figure counts only the people living inside the county.
We look up plans by ZIP code. In Forsyth County, that means areas such as 27009, 27012, 27023, 27040, 27045, 27050, 27051, 27101, 27103, 27104, 27105, 27106, 27109, 27110 and 2 more, based on Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas that lie mostly in the county.
Questions about Medicare in Forsyth County?
Reach out to us: fill out our short form or call (571) 354-0146, and a licensed agent will compare the plans available to you, check your doctors and drugs, and stay with you each year at renewal. For general Medicare information, the federal helpline is 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
Medicare resources from official sources
- Medicare Plan Finder on Medicare.gov, searchable by ZIP code.
- HealthCare.gov if you are not yet on Medicare.
- Medicare Care Compare for hospitals and doctors.
- Social Security: Medicare to enroll or check status.
- North Carolina Department of Insurance: North Carolina’s insurance regulator, including agent license lookup.
Coverage we offer Forsyth County residents
We work with many carriers, which lets us compare more than one option for Forsyth County households, including group health insurance, life insurance, final expense insurance, annuities, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement (Medigap), Part D drug plans, ACA health insurance and ICHRA.
Let’s review your Forsyth County options together
A phone or video call is all it takes. We will check your doctors and prescriptions first.
Get my plan comparisonPlain-English Medicare answers
- Why a Medicare Advantage plan drops a doctor or drug
- Medigap Plan G vs. Plan N
- Medicare Advantage vs. Medigap: how to choose
- Does Medicare cover dental, vision and hearing?
Forsyth County compared with similar North Carolina counties
| County | Residents 65+ | Medicare Advantage share | Dual eligible share | Area type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buncombe County | 60,275 | 48.3% | 11% | Metro |
| Brunswick County | 55,001 | 44.5% | 5% | Metro |
| Durham County | 50,717 | 52.1% | 11% | Metro |
| Guilford County | 89,625 | 72.0% | 14% | Metro |
| New Hanover County | 46,870 | 45.3% | 10% | Metro |
| Cumberland County | 44,854 | 58.1% | 13% | Metro |
See every North Carolina county in our North Carolina directory or go to our North Carolina Medicare hub.