Medicare Advantage Changes for 2027 in Port Angeles, WA

	Port Angeles	Clallam County
Residents, April 1, 2026 (OFM)	20,370	79,250
Age 65+ (ACS 2020–2024)	4,537 (±404)	25,067
65+ share of residents (ACS)	about 22.6%	32.2%
Licensed hospitals (DOH)	Olympic Medical Center	2 (Port Angeles, Forks)
On Medicare (CMS, July 2026)	county figure only	29,910
In Medicare Advantage and other health plans	county figure only	7,127 (23.8%)

Sources: WA OFM April 1, 2026 estimates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year, table B09020 (± is the 90% margin of error); WA DOH hospital list; CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, July 2026 (published by county, not city).

Port Angeles is the county seat and holds about a quarter of Clallam County's people, but it's noticeably younger than the county around it: roughly 22.6% of city residents are 65 or older, against 32.2% county-wide on the same Census survey. By that survey, fewer than one in five of the county's 65-plus residents (about 18%) live in the city. Still, about 4,500 Port Angeles residents are 65-plus, and one of the county's two licensed hospitals, Olympic Medical Center, sits on Caroline Street in town. If your Medicare Advantage plan is ending after December 31, 2026, most of your comparison will revolve around that hospital and the specialists you see.

What actually happens on January 1 if you don't act

Medicare won't leave you uninsured. If you haven't chosen anything when your plan stops, you're moved to Original Medicare on January 1, 2027. Your Part A hospital coverage and Part B medical coverage carry on. You can use any doctor or hospital in the U.S. that takes Medicare, with no network.

What disappears is everything the plan bundled on top:

Prescription coverage. Original Medicare doesn't include it, and nothing replaces your plan's drug benefit automatically, with one exception: if you get Extra Help, CMS reassigns you to a stand-alone Part D plan, unless you already have drug coverage lined up for 2027.
A cap on your medical costs. Medicare Advantage plans have a yearly out-of-pocket limit. Original Medicare alone has none; a Medigap policy is what fills that role for many people.
Time. Your plan-ending special enrollment period runs December 8, 2026 to February 28, 2027. A pick in January starts February 1, a pick in February starts March 1, and after that the special window is gone.

If drug coverage lapses for 63 days or more in a row, Medicare can add a late enrollment penalty to any Part D premium you pay later, for as long as you have Part D. People who qualify for Extra Help or Medicaid but end up with no drug plan can get temporary drug coverage through Medicare's LI NET program while things get sorted out.

So doing nothing is survivable, but it's the most expensive way to lose a few weeks. The simple fix: decide by December 31 and your new coverage starts January 1.

Choosing with Olympic Medical Center in mind

Your options are the two the Medicare handbook names: join another Medicare Advantage plan offered in Clallam County, or go to Original Medicare and add a separate drug plan (and, if you want, a supplement).

With another Medicare Advantage plan, ask the hospital's billing office and each of your doctors whether they'll be in that plan's network in 2027. If you see anyone in Sequim, Forks, or across the water in Kitsap or King County, ask them too. Networks change every year, even for plans that aren't leaving.

With Original Medicare, the network question goes away. The question becomes the supplement. Because your plan is ending, Washington law (RCW 48.66.055) lets you buy certain Medigap plans without health questions. OIC says apply on or after November 1; the right runs until March 4, 2027. Keep your plan's letter and the envelope as proof. Skip it now and later applications can usually be underwritten. The Washington statewide guide lists exactly which Medigap plans are covered by that right.

Getting to appointments from Port Angeles

Clallam Transit, headquartered on West Lauridsen Boulevard, has run zero-fare on its regular routes since January 1, 2025, until further notice. Two exceptions matter for medical trips:

Route 123, the Strait Shot, leaves the Gateway Transit Center weekdays for Sequim and the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal, which is how you'd reach a Seattle-area specialist without a car. It costs $10, or $5 with a Regional Reduced Fare Permit, a Clallam Transit photo ID for riders 65 and over and people with disabilities.
Clallam Connect is the door-to-door paratransit service. You need an approved application; people 80 and older qualify automatically and skip the medical verification form. Reservations at 360-452-4511, option 1, one to seven days ahead.

Where Port Angeles residents can get unbiased answers

SHIBA volunteers give free, unbiased Medicare counseling. In Clallam County the sponsor is Aging & Adult Services of Coastal Washington, whose SHIBA sites are listed in Sequim and Forks (program page). The sponsor's own SHIBA page also lists a volunteer walk-in clinic at the Port Angeles Senior Center, 328 East 7th St. But on October 26, 2026, OIC's local listings said the Clallam sites were not accepting appointments and directed callers to Medicare, so call before you go anywhere:

SHIBA's statewide number: 800-562-6900, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Medicare: 1-800-633-4227 (TTY 1-877-486-2048), all day, every day except some federal holidays.
If paying premiums is the worry, apply for a Medicare Savings Program through washingtonconnection.org; there's no asset test, and approval automatically qualifies you for Extra Help.

Treat this page as orientation, not the last word: federal Medicare rules and Washington law govern, your plan's own notices fix your dates, and 1-800-MEDICARE, SHIBA or a licensed agent can confirm how it all applies to you.

Port Angeles questions

If I do nothing, will I still be covered at Olympic Medical Center on January 1?

You'll be in Original Medicare, which works at any hospital that accepts Medicare. You won't have drug coverage unless you get Extra Help or join a Part D plan, and you won't have a supplement unless you buy one.

What is LI NET and does it apply to me?

It's a Medicare program that gives temporary Part D coverage to people who qualify for Extra Help or Medicaid but aren't in a drug plan yet. If that describes you after your plan ends, ask Medicare about it.

How do I get from Port Angeles to a specialist in Seattle?

Clallam Transit's Route 123 Strait Shot runs weekdays from the Gateway Transit Center to the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal. It's $10, or $5 with a Regional Reduced Fare Permit.

Is there an in-person SHIBA office in Port Angeles?

OIC lists Clallam County's SHIBA sites in Sequim and Forks, and on October 26, 2026 both were marked as not accepting appointments. The sponsor's own page lists a walk-in clinic at the Port Angeles Senior Center, so confirm by phone first. Call SHIBA's statewide line at 800-562-6900 or Medicare at 1-800-633-4227.

Medicare Advantage changes for 2027 in Port Angeles: if your plan is ending

What actually happens on January 1 if you don't act

Choosing with Olympic Medical Center in mind

Getting to appointments from Port Angeles

Where Port Angeles residents can get unbiased answers

Port Angeles questions

Sources

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