Chelan County runs from the Cascade crest down to the Columbia, about 2,921 square miles of land, and parts of it are hard to reach by any road. The National Park Service says there is no car access at all to Stehekin at the head of Lake Chelan; people get there by passenger ferry from Chelan, floatplane or on foot. That is an extreme case, but it makes the point for the whole county: where your doctors are, and whether your coverage follows you there, matters more here than in a city. If a letter told you your Medicare Advantage plan is terminating in Chelan County, start with that question.
Three hospitals, spread along two valleys
State (DOH) and federal (CMS) hospital lists show three hospitals in the county:
- Central Washington Hospital, Wenatchee (1201 S. Miller Street), the county's acute care hospital.
- Lake Chelan Community Hospital, Chelan, a critical access hospital.
- Cascade Medical Center, Leavenworth, also a critical access hospital.
If you live near Chelan or Leavenworth, the hospital down the road and the larger one in Wenatchee may both matter to you. That's two facilities to check, not one. If you look at another Medicare Advantage plan, check your local hospital and Central Washington Hospital by name in its 2027 network, along with your primary doctor and any specialist. Original Medicare skips that step: any provider anywhere in the U.S. that accepts Medicare will take it.
Chelan County leans toward Original Medicare
| CMS counts, July 2026 | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Everyone with Medicare | 20,308 | 100% |
| Original Medicare | 12,064 | 59.4% |
| Medicare Advantage and other health plans | 8,244 | 40.6% |
| Stand-alone Part D drug plans | 8,951 | 44.1% |
| Part D inside a Medicare Advantage plan | 7,755 | |
| Dual-eligible (Medicare and Apple Health) | 2,881 | 14.2% |
| Medicare due to disability | 1,391 | 6.8% |
Source: CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, July 2026 (county). Counts are people, not plans; shares computed. Statewide, 49.7% are in Medicare Advantage and other health plans.
Close to 6 in 10 people on Medicare in Chelan County use Original Medicare, and more of them hold a stand-alone Part D plan than get drugs through a Medicare Advantage plan. That describes the county, not what fits you: the options are the same either way, and your own doctors, drugs and budget decide between them.
The population is old enough that this matters: OFM counted 18,865 residents 65 and older in 2025, about 23% of the county, which had 83,525 people in April 2026.
If you're leaning toward Original Medicare: the Medigap window
A Medicare Advantage plan leaving your area opens a guaranteed issue right. For a while, a Medigap insurer has to sell you certain plans, can't turn you down over health history and can't price you higher for it. Washington's version (RCW 48.66.055) covers more plan letters than federal law: Plans A through F, high-deductible F, K and L if you were first eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020, and A, B, D, G, high-deductible G, K and L if you were first eligible on or after that date.
| Step | Date |
|---|---|
| Right begins | When you receive the termination notice |
| OIC's suggested earliest application date | November 1, 2026 |
| Apply by this date for a January 1 start | December 31, 2026 |
| Last day to use the right | March 4, 2027 (63 days after the plan ends) |
Sources: RCW 48.66.055; Washington OIC; Medicare, Choosing a Medigap Policy.
Two cautions. Send a copy of your plan's termination letter, and keep the postmarked envelope; the insurer can ask for proof. And this right only exists if you go to Original Medicare. If you pick another Medicare Advantage plan and change your mind in a year, buying Medigap then usually means medical underwriting.
The rest of the rules in a paragraph
Your plan covers you through December 31, 2026. Pick replacement coverage by that day and it starts January 1, 2027. Because your plan is ending, you also get a special enrollment period from December 8, 2026 to February 28, 2027 (January choices start February 1; February choices start March 1). If you don't choose anything, Medicare moves you to Original Medicare on January 1 and you have no drug plan unless you are on Extra Help, in which case CMS assigns one. A drug-coverage gap of 63 days or more can bring a late penalty that stays on your premium for as long as you have Medicare drug coverage. More detail, including the Part D cost limits for 2027, is in our Washington guide to Medicare plans being discontinued.
Two groups with different rules
The 2,881 dual-eligibles. If you have Apple Health along with Medicare, you aren't limited to the December-to-February window. You can switch stand-alone drug plans once a month, and with full Medicaid benefits you may join an integrated dual plan (Washington's name is Apple Health Medicare Connect) in any month one is available near you. If you have Extra Help and don't choose, CMS reassigns you to a drug plan; compare it against your own prescriptions anyway.
The 1,391 people on Medicare through a disability. Before age 65, Medigap is harder. Federal law doesn't make insurers sell to you, and Washington isn't on CMS's list of states that require it. As we read it, the state's plan-ending law has no age cutoff, but it only reaches policies an insurer already sells to new customers. Get answers from SHIBA before you leave Medicare Advantage.
Getting help in Chelan County
SHIBA. OIC lists Action Health Partners in East Wenatchee as the county's SHIBA sponsor, phone 888-452-0731. When I looked on October 26, 2026, OIC's local SHIBA office page said the office was not accepting appointments and directed people to call Medicare at 1-800-633-4227. Use the statewide SHIBA line instead: 800-562-6900, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Aging & Adult Care of Central Washington is the Area Agency on Aging for Chelan, Douglas, Okanogan, Grant, Adams and Lincoln counties, at 50 Simon St. SE in East Wenatchee. Its Community Living Connections line is 509-886-0700 (toll free 800-572-4459), at 270 9th St. NE, Suite 100.
Rides to appointments. Link Transit has gone zero-fare on all fixed routes, DART and paratransit, and its intercity routes connect Wenatchee with Leavenworth, Cashmere and Manson. If a disability keeps you off the regular bus, LinkPlus offers shared, curb-to-curb rides booked at least a day ahead within three-quarters of a mile of the fixed routes; call 509-662-1155.
Money. If premiums are a stretch, HCA's Medicare Savings Program has no asset test, and approval also gets you Extra Help with drugs.
All of this rests on federal Medicare rules and Washington insurance law, and your own plan's notice sets your exact dates; check with 1-800-MEDICARE, SHIBA or a licensed agent before you act on it.
Chelan County FAQ
Which hospitals in Chelan County should I check in a new plan's network?
Most people in Chelan County are in Original Medicare. Does that change my options?
When should I apply for Medigap if my plan is leaving Chelan County?
Is the bus to Wenatchee free?
Sources
- National Park Service: Lake Chelan NRA directions
- WA DOH 2025 hospital year-end reports
- CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, July 2026
- WA OFM population estimates by age, 2025
- RCW 48.66.055
- Washington OIC: Medicare Advantage plan changing or leaving
- Medicare: Choosing a Medigap Policy
- Washington OIC: Find a local SHIBA office
- Community Living Connections directory
- Link Transit fares
- Link Transit LinkPlus paratransit
- WA HCA: Medicare Savings Program
- CMS Hospital General Information
