Kent is King County's third-largest city after Seattle and Bellevue: 140,400 people by OFM's April 2026 count, spread over about 33.6 square miles. It's also one of the younger ones: the Census Bureau estimates 16,138 residents are 65 or older (margin ±824), about 11.9%. One more thing about Kent that matters for this page: none of the hospitals on the state DOH and CMS lists has a Kent address.
If your Medicare Advantage plan has told you it's done after December 31, 2026, the biggest change for 2027 is that you have to pick what replaces it. Here is how the two options actually differ for someone living in Kent.
Another Medicare Advantage plan, or Original Medicare?
| What you care about | Switching to a different Medicare Advantage plan | Original Medicare (often with a Part D plan and a Medigap policy) |
|---|---|---|
| Which hospitals and doctors | May be limited to the plan's network, apart from emergencies; check each one by name | Any provider in the country that accepts Medicare |
| Seeing a specialist | A referral may be required | Usually no referral |
| Cap on yearly costs for covered services | Yes, every plan has one | None by itself; a Medigap policy can fill most of the gaps |
| Prescriptions | Most plans include drug coverage | Separate Part D plan required |
| Medigap guaranteed issue right | Not used, and it expires | Available to you through March 4, 2027 |
Sources: Medicare & You 2027 (Medicare.gov); RCW 48.66.055; WA OIC.
Because no hospital on those lists is in Kent itself, hospital care means crossing city lines, whether to Valley Medical Center in Renton, MultiCare Auburn Medical Center, MultiCare Covington Medical Center or somewhere farther. That's the first thing to test in any network plan: is your hospital in it for 2027? If the answer is no, or you're not sure which one you'd land in, factor that into the decision.
The other side of it: Original Medicare alone has no annual ceiling on what you pay. Medigap closes most of that, but it's another premium. If all your doctors sit firmly inside one network, a network plan may work for you. I don't think there's a universal right answer, which is why I'd rather you make the call on your actual doctors and prescriptions than on a mailer.
How the Medigap right works here
Washington law (RCW 48.66.055) protects people whose plan is ending. If you move to Original Medicare, a Medigap insurer can't decline you, can't exclude a pre-existing condition, and can't charge more based on your health, as long as you apply in time and pick a plan your eligibility date allows. First eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020? Your options are A, B, D, G (or high-deductible G), K and L. Before 2020? A through F (high-deductible F included), K and L.
OIC says apply from November 1. Apply by the end of December and the Medigap policy picks up on January 1. Your right ends 63 days after the plan does, which is March 4, 2027.
Don't lose your prescriptions in the shuffle
If you go the Original Medicare route, you need to join a stand-alone Part D plan yourself. Medicare won't do it for you unless you get Extra Help. For 2027, Medicare caps out-of-pocket spending on covered Part D drugs at $2,400 for the year, so a drug plan limits your exposure. Going 63 days or more with no drug coverage can bring a late enrollment penalty that stays on your premium for as long as you have Medicare drug coverage.
The timing, without the jargon
Coverage under your current plan lasts until December 31, 2026. Open Enrollment is open now and closes December 7. On December 8 a special enrollment period opens for people whose plan is ending, and it stays open until February 28, 2027. Sign up by December 31 and coverage starts January 1. Sign up in January for a February 1 start, or in February for March 1. If you don't do anything, you start 2027 in Original Medicare without drug coverage. The full statewide version is in our guide to a discontinued Medicare plan in Washington.
Kent resources and phone numbers
- Kent Senior Activity Center, 600 East Smith Street, serves a hot lunch weekdays from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., per King County's services directory.
- SHIBA (free, unbiased, state-run): 800-562-6900, weekdays 8:30–4:30. OIC's local King County listings read "Currently not accepting appointments" on October 26, 2026, so go through the statewide line.
- 1-800-MEDICARE: 1-800-633-4227, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except some federal holidays.
- Metro Access paratransit, for riders whose disability keeps them off regular buses: 206-205-5000. It serves addresses within three-quarters of a mile of regular bus or Link service, which matters in a city this spread out.
County context, from CMS counts for July 2026: 368,813 King County residents had Medicare, and 197,594 of them were in Medicare Advantage and other health plans. CMS doesn't publish Kent-only numbers.
This page explains the general rules only. Federal Medicare regulations and Washington law are what govern, your plan's letters set your actual dates, and you can verify your own case with 1-800-MEDICARE, SHIBA or a licensed agent.
Kent questions about 2027
What are the Medicare Advantage changes for 2027 if I live in Kent and my plan is ending?
Is there a hospital in Kent?
What is the 2027 Part D out-of-pocket cap?
Sources
- Medicare & You 2027
- Medicare.gov: Part D costs
- RCW 48.66.055
- WA OIC: Medicare Advantage plan changing or leaving
- CMS CY2027 enrollment guidance
- WA OFM April 1, 2026 population
- U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024 B09020
- WA DOH hospital data
- King County directory: Kent Senior Activity Center
- King County Metro: Access Transportation
- CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, July 2026
