My Medicare Advantage Plan Is Ending: Federal Way, WA

Federal Way crossed 103,000 residents in OFM's April 2026 estimate, and the Census Bureau counts about 14,965 of them (margin ±906) at 65 or older, right around 15%. Here is a week-by-week plan for getting from a non-renewal letter to a settled 2027, with one rule up front that is easy to get wrong.

The two "windows" people mix up

Every winter there's talk of a Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period lasting from New Year's Day to the end of March. Don't build your plan around it. It's reserved for people who are already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan when January starts. If you let your plan end and Medicare drops you into Original Medicare, that January–March window can't be used to join a new Medicare Advantage plan.

The window that actually belongs to you is the special enrollment period for a plan that is ending: December 8, 2026 through February 28, 2027. It sits on top of regular Open Enrollment, which closes December 7. Make your choice on or before December 31 and it takes effect January 1.

Window	Dates	Who can use it
Medicare Open Enrollment	Oct 15 – Dec 7, 2026	Everyone with Medicare
Special enrollment period (plan ending)	Dec 8, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027	People whose plan is leaving or leaving their area
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment	Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2027	Only people enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan; one change
Medigap guaranteed issue	Through Mar 4, 2027	People leaving a discontinued plan for Original Medicare

Sources: CMS CY2027 enrollment guidance; WA OIC; RCW 48.66.055.

The flip side: pick a replacement Medicare Advantage plan with a January 1 start date, and that January–March window does open for you. It allows a single switch, a useful escape hatch if the replacement turns out to have a doctor gap you missed.

For someone whose plan is leaving, there are really three dates that matter: December 7, December 31 and February 28. Of those, December 31 is the one I'd circle.

A week-by-week plan

This week

Dig out the notice along with the envelope it came in. Put them together in a folder; a Medigap insurer can ask for proof of your plan ending.
Write out every medication with dose and frequency, and every doctor, including specialists you only see once a year.
Note which hospital you'd go to. The hospital on the state and CMS lists in Federal Way is St. Francis Community Hospital on 9th Ave S.

Weeks two through four (November)

Run your drug list and doctors through Medicare Plan Finder for 2027, or have 1-800-MEDICARE do it with you over the phone.
Pick a direction. One option is a different Medicare Advantage plan sold in King County. The other is Original Medicare paired with its own drug plan, with a Medigap supplement if you want the extra protection.
If you lean toward Medigap: November 1 is the earliest date OIC suggests applying, and Washington's guaranteed issue law means an insurer can't refuse you or price you on health while your window is open.

December

Have everything submitted by December 31 so it all starts January 1.
If you're going the Original Medicare route, double-check you actually enrolled in a Part D plan. Nobody does that for you unless you have Extra Help. Going 63 days or longer without drug coverage can mean a late penalty that stays on your premium for as long as you have Medicare drug coverage.

January, if something slipped

Anyone who made no choice starts the year in Original Medicare. The plan-ending window stays open until the last day of February, and a request sent in January kicks in on February 1. Your Medigap guaranteed issue right lasts until March 4, 2027. More detail on all of this is in our guide for Washington residents whose Medicare plan is discontinued.

Federal Way resources

The city's Senior Advisory Commission publishes a Senior Resource Guide (revised spring 2026). It lists Medicare's number, the statewide SHIBA line and Metro's Access paratransit line (206-205-5000), along with local senior centers. A few from that guide:

Federal Way Community Center, 876 S 333rd St, 253-835-6900.
Federal Way Senior Center, 4016 S 352nd St (Auburn mailing address), 253-838-3604.

SHIBA is the state's free, unbiased Medicare counseling program. Statewide: 800-562-6900, weekdays 8:30–4:30. Its King County sponsor offices showed "Currently not accepting appointments" on OIC's site when I checked October 26, 2026, so call the statewide number or 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except some federal holidays).

For context, CMS counted 368,813 people on Medicare in King County in July 2026, 197,594 of them in Medicare Advantage and other health plans. CMS doesn't publish a Federal Way figure.

A plain disclaimer to close: Medicare's federal rules and Washington law control the outcome, and the dates printed in your plan's notices are the ones that count for you. Before signing anything, run it past 1-800-MEDICARE, a SHIBA adviser or a licensed agent.

Federal Way questions

Federal Way resident here, plan ending. Does the January-March window help me?

Only if a Medicare Advantage plan already covers you on January 1. Anyone who lands in Original Medicare by default relies on the plan-ending special window instead, and it closes at the end of February 2027.

Where can I find local senior resources in Federal Way?

The city's Senior Resource Guide, revised spring 2026, lists senior centers, Medicare and SHIBA numbers, and Metro Access paratransit.

When does my Medigap guaranteed issue right end?

March 4, 2027, which is 63 days after a December 31, 2026 plan end date. It applies only if you go to Original Medicare.

Will St. Francis Community Hospital be in my new plan?

Check it by name in any 2027 Medicare Advantage network. Original Medicare works at any hospital that accepts Medicare.

Your Medicare Advantage Plan Is Ending in Federal Way: A Week-by-Week Plan