St. Elizabeth Hospital on Battersby Avenue is one of only two hospitals in King County that CMS classifies as a Critical Access Hospital, the federal category for small rural hospitals. The other is in Snoqualmie. If you live in Enumclaw and your Medicare Advantage plan is leaving at the end of 2026, the first question I'd ask is simple: will whatever you pick next still work at St. Elizabeth?
Start with the hospital, not the premium
Network plans differ, and a network built around Seattle and the Eastside may or may not include a small rural hospital. So, for each 2027 option you look at:
- Search St. Elizabeth Hospital by name in the plan's 2027 provider directory, or ask 1-800-MEDICARE to check.
- Check your primary care doctor and any specialist you see regularly, even if it's only once a year.
- Check where you'd be sent for surgery or a hospital stay that St. Elizabeth can't handle.
The other road is Original Medicare. Medicare's own handbook puts the difference plainly: Original Medicare lets you see any doctor or use any hospital in the country that participates in Medicare; with Medicare Advantage you may need to stay in the plan's network for non-emergency care. Original Medicare has no yearly cap on what you pay, though, which is why some people who go that way add a Medigap policy, plus a separate drug plan.
An older town than the county
| Enumclaw | King County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population (OFM, April 2026) | 13,440 | 2,424,700 |
| Age 65 and older | 2,544 (19.9%), ACS 2020–2024, margin ±370 | 320,899 (14.0%), ACS 2020–2024 |
| People on Medicare (CMS, July 2026) | Not published for cities | 368,813 |
| In Medicare Advantage and other health plans | Not published for cities | 197,594 (53.6%) |
Sources: WA OFM; U.S. Census ACS 2020–2024 table B09020; CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, July 2026.
Nearly one in five Enumclaw residents is 65 or older, against about one in seven countywide on the same survey. Anyone 72 or older today was first eligible for Medicare before 2020, and that matters for Medigap, below.
A geography note: Enumclaw's city limits technically touch Pierce County, but OFM counts zero city residents on the Pierce side, so every Enumclaw resident shops for plans as a King County resident.
The Medigap right, and why pre-2020 matters
Here is the state-law piece. Under RCW 48.66.055, a person whose Medicare Advantage plan pulls out has a guaranteed issue right, as long as the move is to Original Medicare. During that window an insurer can't turn you down, can't exclude pre-existing conditions, and can't charge more because of your health. Which plans you can buy depends on when you first became eligible:
- First eligible before 2020: any of the lettered plans from A to F (the high-deductible F counts), as well as K or L.
- First eligible in 2020 or later: A, B, D or G (high-deductible G counts), as well as K or L.
OIC's advice is to send the application in November or December; November 1 is the earliest it suggests. Get it in by December 31 and the policy can take over on January 1. After March 4, 2027 (63 days past the plan's end), the protection is gone. Pick a new Medicare Advantage plan and it never comes into play. More on the Medigap rules is in our Washington discontinued-plan guide.
The dates that apply to everyone
Your plan covers you through December 31, 2026. Medicare Open Enrollment is open until December 7, and a special enrollment period for people in your spot runs December 8 through February 28, 2027. Anything chosen by December 31 starts January 1. If you don't choose, you start 2027 in Original Medicare with no prescription coverage, unless you have Extra Help, in which case CMS puts you in a drug plan. Without drug coverage for 63 days or more, a Part D late penalty can stay on your premium for as long as you have Medicare drug coverage.
Help on the Plateau
The Enumclaw Senior Activity Center at 1350 Cole Street, open Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., offers blood pressure checks, foot care and exercise classes, per King County's services directory. It's a good place to ask what else is available locally.
For Medicare decisions specifically:
- SHIBA, Washington's no-charge, no-sales Medicare advisers: 800-562-6900, weekdays from 8:30 in the morning until 4:30 in the afternoon. When I checked on October 26, 2026, OIC listed King County's local SHIBA sponsors (both in Seattle) as not accepting appointments, so the statewide number is your route in.
- 1-800-MEDICARE, 1-800-633-4227, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except some federal holidays.
- Community Living Connections, King County: 1-844-348-5464, for in-home help, caregiver support and other aging services.
Getting to a doctor in another town can be its own problem out here. Metro's reduced-fare ORCA card (the RRFP) is available at 65 or with a Medicare card. Metro's Access vans are for riders who can't use regular buses because of a disability, and they only run near existing bus and Link service, so rural Plateau addresses may fall outside. Call Access at 206-205-5000 to ask about yours.
Take this page as background, not the final word: Washington insurance law and federal Medicare rules control, the paperwork from your own plan fixes your dates, and a quick call to 1-800-MEDICARE, SHIBA or a licensed agent will confirm where you stand.
Enumclaw questions
Will St. Elizabeth Hospital in Enumclaw be covered next year?
Does living near the Pierce County line change my plan options?
I have been on Medicare since before 2020. Which Medigap plans can I get without health questions?
Sources
- CMS Hospital General Information
- WA DOH hospital data
- Medicare & You 2027
- WA OFM April 1, 2026 population
- U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024 B09020
- CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, July 2026
- RCW 48.66.055
- WA OIC: Medicare Advantage plan changing or leaving
- WA OIC: local SHIBA offices
- King County directory: Enumclaw Senior Activity Center
- King County Metro: Access Transportation
