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Hampstead · Cape Fear region, NC

Affordable Healthcare in Hampstead & Pender County

Hampstead, Scotts Hill, Surf City, Topsail Beach, Burgaw and Rocky Point. Pender County is the state's second-fastest-growing county, with a brand-new hospital on its southern edge.

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Answer 6 quick questions to see what Direct Primary Care plus health sharing could cost your household.

Buying your own plan in Hampstead, Burgaw & Pender County

Pender County grew about 3% from 2024 to 2025, the second fastest in North Carolina (source). Novant opened its $294 million, 66-bed Scotts Hill Medical Center on June 16, 2026, on property that straddles the Pender and New Hanover line (source). In Burgaw, Novant's Pender Medical Center is a 25-bed critical access hospital with 43 skilled nursing beds (source).

Eastern Pender's growth along US 17 brings a lot of self-employed people, builders and trades businesses, and people who commute into Wilmington. In the western part of the county, homes and farms are spread out, and the nearest doctor can be a long drive.

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Towns we help in Hampstead, Burgaw & Pender County

  • Hampstead and Scotts Hill · Eastern Pender County
    Fast-growing US 17 corridor, home of Novant Health Scotts Hill Medical Center.
  • Surf City and Topsail Beach · Pender and Onslow counties
    Topsail Island beach towns; the island is split between two counties.
  • Burgaw · Pender County seat
    Novant Health Pender Medical Center, a critical access hospital.
  • Rocky Point · Western Pender County
    Rural community along I-40 and US 117.

Don't see your town? We help anywhere in the Cape Fear region. Tell us where you are.

Atlantic OceanUS 17I-40NC 211US 421WilmingtonLelandBoliviaSouthportOak IslandShallotteSunset BeachHampsteadBurgawSurf CityCarolina BeachKure BeachWrightsville Beach

Sketch map; roads drawn town to town and the coast outlined roughly. This area is highlighted; tap another town to open its guide.

Medicaid work requirements start in 2027: what to check

North Carolina expanded Medicaid in December 2023, and about 735,000 people have enrolled since (source). New rules start January 1, 2027. Most expansion adults ages 19 to 64 will need to show 80 hours a month of work, school, job training or community service, and renew every six months, not once a year (source, source). Some people are exempt, such as parents of children 13 and under, pregnant women and some people with disabilities (source).

If you're on Medicaid, keep your address current with Pender County DSS and answer every renewal letter. Seasonal work at the beach can make the hours hard to show in winter, so keep pay stubs and records.

If you do lose Medicaid, you can usually get a Marketplace plan right away through a special enrollment period, and at low incomes the tax credit can be large (source). Check that first. Health sharing isn't insurance and is no substitute for Medicaid. It fits households whose income is too high for much help.

Who it fits here, and who should stay on insurance

Usually a good fit: healthy individuals and families who buy their own plan, self-employed people, early retirees under 65, and households whose income is too high for much Marketplace help.

Usually better on insurance: anyone who qualifies for NC Medicaid, anyone with a serious ongoing condition who needs it paid for in year one, anyone planning a pregnancy in the next nine months, anyone who needs regular mental-health therapy, and anyone whose tax credit makes an ACA plan cheap.

In this area specifically: Long drives make a doctor by phone or video practical here: most everyday problems don't need a trip to Burgaw or Wilmington.

Not sure which side you're on? Tell us about your household or call (910) 812-0954.

Illustrative example · October 2026

Hampstead family, parents in their 30s

$633.60 /month

Member + family, oldest member 30–39, $2,500 Initial Unshareable Amount per Need, non-tobacco. Combined medical cost sharing + virtual primary care membership. Optional dental savings plan from $8.95/month. Not a quote; your amount depends on your household.

See the full price table →

Questions we hear from this area

Can I use Scotts Hill Medical Center with health sharing?

Yes. Health sharing has no provider network, so any licensed hospital works, including Scotts Hill, Pender Medical Center and Wilmington. Pay as a self-pay patient up to your Initial Unshareable Amount, then submit eligible bills.

I might lose Medicaid in 2027. Is health sharing an option?

Check a Marketplace plan first. Losing Medicaid usually opens a special enrollment period, and at lower incomes the tax credit can make a plan very cheap. Health sharing isn't insurance; it mostly fits households whose income is too high for much help.

Is this health insurance?

No. Health care sharing and direct primary care are alternatives to insurance. Sharing is voluntary and not guaranteed, and it isn't Minimum Essential Coverage. North Carolina has no state penalty for going without insurance.

Other Cape Fear areas: Wilmington & New Hanover County · Leland & Northern Brunswick County · Southport, Oak Island & the Brunswick Beaches · Carolina Beach, Kure Beach & Wrightsville Beach

Read more: every option compared · what it costs · health sharing in North Carolina · direct primary care

Written and reviewed by Graham Kerswell. Last updated November 5, 2026. Facts and prices are checked against the sources named on this page.

Sources

Compare your options in Hampstead, Burgaw & Pender County

Tell us who needs care and what you pay now. We'll walk you through the options, including when insurance is the better fit.

Get my optionsCall (910) 812-0954

Free, no obligation. Wilmington, Brunswick, Pender and Cape Fear households.

Health care sharing
Health care sharing ministries are not insurance and are not regulated as insurance. Sharing of medical expenses is voluntary and not guaranteed. Review each organization's guidelines for details, limitations, and state-specific notices.

North Carolina notice (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 58-49-12)
North Carolina law asks health care sharing organizations to give members this notice: “NOTICE: The organization facilitating the sharing of medical expenses is not an insurance company and neither its guidelines nor its plan of operation is an insurance policy. Whether anyone chooses to assist you with your medical bills will be voluntary. No other participant will be compelled by law to contribute toward your medical bills. As such, participation in the organization or a subscription to any of its documents should never be considered to be insurance. Regardless of whether you receive any payment for medical expenses or whether this organization continues to operate, you are always personally liable for the payment of your own medical bills.” Health care sharing is not Minimum Essential Coverage.

Direct primary care
Direct primary care is a membership with a primary care practice. Under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 58-3-8, a medical direct primary care agreement is not insurance and is not subject to North Carolina's insurance laws; the agreement must be in writing and must state prominently that it is not health insurance. A DPC membership does not pay for specialists, hospital care or emergencies, and it is not Minimum Essential Coverage.

Discount plans
THIS PLAN IS NOT INSURANCE and is not intended to replace health insurance. A discount plan provides discounts at participating providers and does not make payments to providers; the member pays the discounted fee. Discount plan organization: Careington International Corporation, 7400 Gaylord Parkway, Frisco, TX 75034. Discount plans are not ACA Qualified Health Plans.

How we're paid
We may receive compensation from some organizations we recommend. This does not change our evaluation of how they work. See our Referral Marketing Disclosure.

Not advice
This page is general information, not medical, legal, tax or financial advice. Prices are examples, not quotes; they depend on your household and can change. Affordable Healthcare Wilmington is not an insurance agency and does not sell insurance. We help individuals and families explore alternatives to insurance, including direct primary care, health care sharing and discount plans.