About 20,530 of Bothell's 52,010 residents live on the Snohomish County side of the line, per OFM's April 2026 estimate. That's close to four in ten. For a Medicare non-renewal letter, that detail matters more than almost anything else on this page, because Medicare Advantage and Part D plans are approved county by county.
Example: two Bothell neighbors, one letter
Example (hypothetical): Two retirees get the same non-renewal notice in October. One lives near downtown Bothell in King County. The other lives on the far side of the county line, in Snohomish County. Both type "Bothell" into a search bar and read the same articles. But when they each enter their ZIP and county in Medicare Plan Finder, they see different lists. Medicare runs the same rules for both of them; what changes is which plans are sold where they live.
Say the King County neighbor picks a stand-alone Part D plan and a Medigap policy in early December, so everything starts January 1. The Snohomish County neighbor sets the letter aside. On January 1 she is automatically in Original Medicare, which is fine for doctor visits, but she has no drug coverage. Her January refills cost full price.
She still has the special enrollment period. If she joins a drug plan in February, it starts March 1. That is 59 days without coverage, which is just under the 63-day line that triggers Medicare's late enrollment penalty. If she lets February 28 pass, though, that window closes, and the next ordinary chance is fall Open Enrollment for a 2028 start. By then she has blown well past 63 days, and the penalty sticks to her premium for as long as she has Part D.
The lesson isn't that one county is better. It's that the drug plan is the piece that's easy to forget, and in Bothell you have to shop it in the right county.
How the two counties compare
| CMS counts, July 2026 | King County | Snohomish County |
|---|---|---|
| People with Medicare | 368,813 | 152,940 |
| Medicare Advantage and other health plans | 197,594 (53.6%) | 91,088 (59.6%) |
| Original Medicare | 171,219 | 61,852 |
| Stand-alone Part D drug plans | 108,490 | 35,605 |
| Part D inside a health plan | 190,884 | 87,997 |
| Dual-eligible | 58,692 | 22,183 |
Source: CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, July 2026 (county level; CMS does not report cities). Counts are people, not plans.
Snohomish County leans further toward Medicare Advantage than King: about 60% versus 54%. In both counties, most people with Part D get it bundled inside a health plan, which is exactly the coverage that vanishes when the plan leaves. If your drugs came through your Medicare Advantage plan, assume you will need to replace them on purpose.
Bothell's age profile is close to the county average: the Census Bureau estimates 7,271 residents 65 and older (margin of error 558), or 14.7%.
Part D facts worth knowing for 2027
- No Medicare drug plan can have a deductible above $700 in 2027 (it was $615 in 2026).
- Out-of-pocket spending on covered Part D drugs is capped at $2,400 in 2027, up from $2,100. After you hit it, you pay nothing more for covered drugs that year.
- The late penalty is 1% of the national base beneficiary premium for each full month you went uncovered, added for as long as you have Part D. The 2027 base premium is $41.33. People with Extra Help don't pay the penalty.
- If you have Extra Help, CMS moves you into a stand-alone drug plan automatically when your Medicare Advantage plan ends, and you can change drug plans once a month.
The rest of the rules, briefly
Your current plan pays through December 31, 2026. Open Enrollment runs through December 7, then your plan-leaving special enrollment period runs from December 8 to February 28, 2027. Pick by December 31 and coverage begins January 1. If you go to Original Medicare, Washington law gives you a guaranteed right to buy certain Medigap policies without health screening; OIC says to apply on or after November 1, and the right ends March 4, 2027. You lose that right if you join another Medicare Advantage plan instead. For the full rundown see our Washington guide for discontinued Medicare plans.
Where Bothell residents can get help
Your SHIBA sponsor and aging agency depend on your county too:
- King County side: SHIBA sponsors Solid Ground and the Chinese Information and Service Center; Area Agency on Aging is Seattle-King County Aging & Disability Services.
- Snohomish County side: SHIBA sponsor Edmonds Waterfront Center; Area Agency on Aging is Snohomish County's Aging & Disability Services Division in Everett.
On October 26, 2026, OIC's page showed every one of those local SHIBA offices as not taking appointments, with a note to call Medicare instead. So use the statewide SHIBA number, 800-562-6900 (weekdays 8:30 to 4:30), or 1-800-MEDICARE at 1-800-633-4227, which answers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except some federal holidays.
In town, Northshore Senior Center is based at 10201 East Riverside Drive, with branches in Kenmore and Mill Creek; its main line is 425-487-2441. No hospital on the DOH and CMS lists has a Bothell address, so you'll be looking at hospitals in neighboring cities, such as EvergreenHealth Medical Center in Kirkland. Whichever one you use, look it up by name in any 2027 network.
Please treat this as general information. Federal Medicare rules and Washington law control, and your own plan's notices set your dates; confirm the details for your address with 1-800-MEDICARE, SHIBA or a licensed agent.
Bothell non-renewal questions
I live in the Snohomish County part of Bothell. Which plans can I pick?
If I do nothing, will I have drug coverage on January 1?
Is there a Medicare penalty if I wait until February to join a drug plan?
Does Northshore Senior Center do Medicare enrollment?
Sources
- WA OFM April 1, 2026 population by county part
- CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, July 2026
- Medicare.gov: Part D costs and late enrollment penalty
- CMS CY2027 Parts C and D announcement (base beneficiary premium)
- CMS CY2027 enrollment and disenrollment guidance
- WA OIC: local SHIBA offices
- WA OIC: Medicare Advantage plan changing or leaving
- DSHS Area Agency on Aging contact list
- City of Kenmore: Northshore Senior Center branch
- King County human services directory: Northshore Senior Center - Bothell
