Bellevue has roughly 22,400 residents age 65 and older, per Census survey estimates averaged over 2020–2024 (plus or minus 1,350). That is close to one in seven people in a city OFM now puts at 158,300. If your Medicare Advantage plan just told you it won't be back in 2027, here are the questions in a sensible order.
Am I still covered right now?
Yes. A plan that is leaving keeps covering you through December 31, 2026. Your Overlake doctor, your pharmacy and your specialist appointments in November and December work exactly as they did. Nothing changes until January 1.
The plan was required to mail that notice at least 90 days before coverage ends, so yours should have been mailed by early October. Keep it, and keep the envelope with the postmark. You may need both later.
How many people in Bellevue are in this kind of plan?
CMS doesn't publish city counts, only counties. For King County as a whole:
| King County, CMS counts July 2026 | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Everyone with Medicare | 368,813 | all |
| Medicare Advantage and other health plans | 197,594 | 53.6% |
| Original Medicare | 171,219 | 46.4% |
| Drug coverage through a stand-alone Part D plan | 108,490 | |
| Drug coverage built into a health plan | 190,884 |
Source: CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, July 2026, King County. Counts are people, not plans.
A little over half the county is in Medicare Advantage and other health plans. CMS doesn't publish how many got non-renewal letters. What sets you apart is a deadline and some rights others don't have.
What are my choices?
Two. You can join a different Medicare Advantage plan offered in King County, or you can go to Original Medicare and add a separate Part D drug plan, plus a Medigap policy if you want one. Neither is the right answer for everyone, and I won't pretend otherwise. If you mostly see doctors inside one health system, check whether that system is in a plan's 2027 network. If you travel, split time out of state, or want to see any specialist who takes Medicare, weigh that Original Medicare has no network. The statewide guide to a discontinued Medicare plan has a side-by-side table.
If I want Medigap, when do I apply?
Because your plan is leaving, Washington law (RCW 48.66.055) gives you a guaranteed issue right. A Medigap insurer has to sell you a qualifying policy, cover your pre-existing conditions, and not charge you more for your health. Which plan letters qualify depends on when you first became eligible for Medicare:
- First eligible before January 1, 2020: plans A through F (high-deductible F included), K and L.
- First eligible on or after January 1, 2020: plans A, B, D, G (high-deductible G included), K and L.
Timing, in plain terms:
- OIC's instruction is to apply no earlier than November 1, 2026.
- Apply by December 31 if you want the Medigap policy to begin January 1, the same day your old plan stops.
- The guaranteed right ends 63 days after your plan coverage ends. For a December 31 end date that is March 4, 2027. After that, an insurer can ask health questions and turn you down.
One trap: the right only applies if you move to Original Medicare. If you join another Medicare Advantage plan for 2027, you don't use it, and once March 4 passes you can't come back to it later. Washington does have a separate rule letting people who already hold a Medigap policy switch to certain others without underwriting, but you need to be in Medigap first.
What is the real deadline?
December 31, 2026, if you want no gap at all. Medicare Open Enrollment ends December 7, but because your plan is going away you also get a special enrollment period, December 8, 2026 through February 28, 2027. Sign up in January and coverage begins February 1; sign up in February and it begins March 1.
If you make no choice, Medicare puts you in Original Medicare on January 1. You'd keep hospital and medical coverage, yet you'd have nothing for prescriptions, unless you receive Extra Help, in which case CMS assigns you a drug plan. Going 63 days or more without drug coverage can mean a late penalty for as long as you have Part D.
Who can help me in Bellevue?
SHIBA is the free, unbiased state counseling program. Its King County sponsors are Solid Ground and the Chinese Information and Service Center, but when I checked OIC's directory on October 26, 2026, each one carried a notice that it is not taking appointments right now and sends callers to Medicare at 1-800-633-4227. So in practice:
- SHIBA's statewide line, 800-562-6900, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except some federal holidays.
- Community Living Connections for King County, 1-844-348-5464, for broader aging and disability services.
The city's North Bellevue Community Center, 4063 148th Ave NE (425-452-7681), offers programs for older adults, information and referrals, and community dining. It hosts a community lunch Mondays and Fridays at noon, and its day trips include limited optional home pickup for Bellevue residents. It is a good place to find out what else the city offers; enrollment decisions still go through Medicare, SHIBA or an agent.
Final word: what governs your case is federal Medicare law plus Washington's insurance code, and the dates printed in your own plan notices beat anything on this page. When in doubt, a call to 1-800-MEDICARE, SHIBA or a licensed agent settles it.
More Bellevue questions
Will Overlake still be covered until the end of the year?
When should a Bellevue resident apply for Medigap after a plan non-renewal?
Can the North Bellevue Community Center help with Medicare?
Sources
- U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024 B09020 (Bellevue 65+)
- WA OFM April 1, 2026 population
- CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, July 2026
- RCW 48.66.055 Medigap guaranteed issue
- RCW 48.66.045
- WA OIC: Medicare Advantage plan changing or leaving
- WA OIC: local SHIBA offices
- Medicare: Choosing a Medigap Policy
- City of Bellevue: North Bellevue Community Center
- King County: Older adult services
