East Wenatchee: your Medicare plan is being discontinued. Help is close, and so is the deadline.

East Wenatchee against the rest of Douglas County

Sources: WA OFM; U.S. Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year; WA DOH and CMS hospital lists; CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, July 2026.

East Wenatchee is a younger slice of an older county. About one resident in seven is 65 or older here, compared with one in five countywide. But it's where nearly a third of the county lives, and it's where the county's aging and Medicare help is based. The Area Agency on Aging, its Community Living Connections office and the county's SHIBA sponsor all have East Wenatchee addresses. That's handy, with one caveat about SHIBA I'll get to.

If the real problem is paying for Medicare

Douglas County had 1,203 people who have both Medicare and Apple Health: 639 with full Medicaid benefits and 564 with partial help, usually a Medicare Savings Program (CMS, July 2026). If you're one of them, or think you might qualify, read this part first.

• Medicare Savings Programs. These Apple Health programs pay Medicare premiums, and at the QMB level also deductibles and copays. The Health Care Authority says there's no asset test. You can file through washingtonconnection.org, mail a paper form, or go through DSHS in person, which OIC suggests too.
• Extra Help. The federal drug-cost program. Anyone on Medicaid, SSI or one of the Savings Programs is in automatically; everybody else files an application with Social Security.
• Already on Extra Help? When a private Medicare plan closes, CMS moves Extra Help members into a stand-alone drug plan, skipping anyone who has already arranged 2027 drug coverage. That assignment isn't final; you're free to pick another. And the late-enrollment penalty doesn't apply to you.
• Monthly changes. Medicaid or Extra Help members may trade one stand-alone drug plan for another every calendar month, effective the 1st. People with full Medicaid can additionally move into an integrated dual plan, which HCA calls Apple Health Medicare Connect, once a month where one serves your area.

If you think you qualify, apply now rather than in December.

The dates everyone shares

Your plan pays through December 31, 2026. Choose your 2027 coverage by that day and it begins January 1, so nothing lapses. Because the plan is closing, federal guidance gives you extra time, December 8, 2026 to February 28, 2027; January choices begin February 1, February choices begin March 1.

No choice at all means January 1 arrives with Original Medicare and no drug plan, unless you're on Extra Help and CMS has assigned one. For people without Extra Help, a gap of 63 days or more without drug coverage can bring a Part D penalty that stays on your premium for as long as you have Medicare drug coverage.

Medigap without health questions

Going back to Original Medicare opens a short Washington window in which certain Medigap policies must be sold to you regardless of health. OIC wants applications dated November 1 or later; by December 31 if you want it starting January 1. The window shuts March 4, 2027. Which plan letters you can choose depends on whether you were first eligible for Medicare before 2020 or on or after January 1, 2020; our Washington statewide page has the full lists. One honest note for full-QMB members: Apple Health already covers most Medicare cost sharing for you, so ask SHIBA whether a Medigap policy would add anything before paying a premium for one.

Getting to care across the river

No hospital is listed inside East Wenatchee or anywhere in Douglas County. Central Washington Hospital sits across the Columbia in Wenatchee. If you're looking at another Medicare Advantage plan, check that hospital and each of your doctors in the plan's 2027 network. Original Medicare has no network, so any provider who accepts Medicare will take it.

The ride itself costs nothing. Link Transit went zero-fare on fixed routes, DART and paratransit. Several routes cross between East Wenatchee and Wenatchee (Route 18 runs from East Wenatchee to Wenatchee Valley College, for one), and Route 3 runs from Columbia Station in Wenatchee to Central Washington Hospital. If a disability keeps you off regular buses, LinkPlus provides shared curb-to-curb rides booked at least a day ahead; Link's guest services number is 509-662-1155.

The offices in town, and what they can do right now

• Action Health Partners, the SHIBA sponsor for Douglas County, 230 Grant Road, Suite A25 (888-452-0731). Here's the caveat: OIC's local listing read "Currently not accepting appointments. For assistance, call Medicare at 1-800-633-4227" when we checked on October 26, 2026. Phone SHIBA's statewide number, 800-562-6900 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.), before you show up.
• Aging & Adult Care of Central Washington, the Area Agency on Aging, 50 Simon St. SE. Its Community Living Connections office is at 270 9th St. NE, Suite 100 (509-886-0700 or 800-572-4459) for in-home care, meals and caregiver questions.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048), open around the clock except some federal holidays, and Medicare Plan Finder for comparing 2027 plans with your prescriptions.

What I've written follows federal Medicare rules and Washington law, but the notice from your plan is what fixes your dates, so double-check anything that matters by calling 1-800-MEDICARE or SHIBA, or by asking a licensed agent.

Related pages: Washington statewide guide · Douglas County

East Wenatchee readers ask

Sources

1. HCA: Medicare Savings Program
2. HCA: Apple Health Medicare Connect
3. CMS CY2027 MA and Part D Enrollment and Disenrollment Guidance
4. Medicare.gov: Special Enrollment Periods
5. Washington OIC: Is your Medicare Advantage plan changing or leaving?
6. Washington OIC: Find a local SHIBA office
7. CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, July 2026
8. U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B09020
9. WA OFM April 1 population estimates
10. Link Transit fares (zero-fare)
11. Link Transit LinkPlus paratransit
12. Community Living Connections local contacts