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Leland · Cape Fear region, NC

Affordable Healthcare in Leland

Leland, Belville, Navassa, Winnabow and Bolivia. Brunswick County is the fastest-growing county in North Carolina, and many new arrivals are buying their own plan for the first time.

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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 Leland & Northern Brunswick County

Brunswick County grew 24% from 2020 to 2024, the fastest in North Carolina (source), and another 4.7% from 2024 to 2025, the sixth fastest of any US county (source). Leland is its largest town: 22,908 people at the 2020 census, with a median age of 50.7 and 31.1% aged 65 or older (source).

Hospital care is catching up. The county's main hospital is Novant's 74-bed Brunswick Medical Center in Bolivia, open since 2011. In March 2026 the state approved Novant's plan for a 20-bed hospital in Leland and a freestanding emergency department in Carolina Shores (source). Columbus Regional also won approval for a 30-bed hospital in the Leland area (source). Until those open, many Leland residents drive across the bridge to Wilmington.

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Towns we help in Leland & Northern Brunswick County

  • Leland · Brunswick County · 22,908 people (2020)
    Brunswick County's largest town, just across the Cape Fear River from Wilmington.
  • Belville and Navassa · Northern Brunswick County
    Small towns on the river along NC 133 and US 74/76.
  • Winnabow · Northern Brunswick County
    Rural area on NC 133 between Leland and Southport.
  • Bolivia · Brunswick County seat
    Home of Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center and the county government complex.

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.

Just moved here? Moving opens a window for a Marketplace plan

Many Leland households moved here from out of state, often in their 50s and early 60s. If you had a Marketplace plan where you lived before, moving to a new area usually opens a special enrollment period, so you can choose a North Carolina plan without waiting for open enrollment (source). Losing a job-based plan when you move works the same way.

If you moved for retirement, the bridge to Medicare is often the biggest line in the budget. Since the extra federal tax credits ended after 2025, a couple with income above 400% of the federal poverty level gets no tax credit at all, and North Carolina prices rose about 28.6% on average for 2026 (source).

Health sharing and a primary care membership can start on the first of any month, with no enrollment window and no income test. They aren't insurance, and conditions from the 36 months before joining are phased in over three years. If you or your spouse has an active condition, a Marketplace plan is usually the safer bridge. We'll show you both numbers.

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: A doctor by phone or video saves the drive across the bridge for most everyday problems, at least until Leland's new hospital opens.

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

Illustrative example · October 2026

Leland couple, oldest 61

$849.40 /month

Member + spouse, oldest member 60–64, $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 Brunswick Medical Center or the Wilmington hospital with health sharing?

Yes. Health sharing has no provider network, so any licensed hospital works, in Bolivia, Wilmington or anywhere else. Pay as a self-pay patient up to your Initial Unshareable Amount, then submit eligible bills.

We just moved to Leland from another state. Can we get a plan now?

Usually yes. Moving to a new area often opens a special enrollment period for a Marketplace plan if you had coverage before you moved. Health sharing doesn't need an enrollment window at all; it can start on the first of any month.

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 · Southport, Oak Island & the Brunswick Beaches · Hampstead, Burgaw & Pender County · 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 Leland & Northern Brunswick 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.