Kirkland is home to two hospitals on the state and federal lists: EvergreenHealth Medical Center on NE 128th Street, a general acute care hospital, and BHC Fairfax Hospital on NE 132nd Street, which CMS classifies as psychiatric. If your Medicare plan has been dropped for 2027, both are worth a look when you compare what comes next.
Five mistakes I'd steer Kirkland readers away from
1. Checking only your primary care doctor
Don't stop at confirming your regular doctor is in a new Medicare Advantage network. Check the hospital too, and check any specialist you see even once a year. If you or a spouse use mental health or psychiatric services, including inpatient care at a place like Fairfax, look up those providers by name in the 2027 directory as well. Original Medicare avoids the issue entirely: any provider that takes Medicare is covered.
2. Forgetting the drug plan
If you move to Original Medicare, prescription coverage doesn't come with it. You must join a stand-alone Part D plan, unless you get Extra Help, in which case CMS assigns you one. Skip it and go 63 days or more without drug coverage, and a late enrollment penalty gets tacked onto your Part D premium for as long as you have it.
3. Treating February 28 as the deadline
Technically, your special enrollment period runs from December 8, 2026 through February 28, 2027, on top of Open Enrollment, which closes December 7. But only choices made by December 31 start on January 1. Choose in January and you start February 1; choose in February and you start March 1. Those are months with gaps you didn't need.
4. Assuming the January–March window will rescue you
The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, January 1 to March 31, is real, but it's only for people enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. If you do nothing and land in Original Medicare, it doesn't let you hop into a new Medicare Advantage plan. If you do join a new Medicare Advantage plan for January 1, though, it gives you one more switch if that plan disappoints.
5. Letting the Medigap right lapse without deciding
Because your plan is leaving, Washington law gives you a one-time guaranteed right to buy certain Medigap policies with no health questions, if you go to Original Medicare. OIC recommends applying on or after November 1, and the right ends March 4, 2027. After that, an insurer can medically underwrite you. Choosing another Medicare Advantage plan is a legitimate choice, but know that you're letting this door close when you make it. Plan letters and eligibility details are in our Washington guide.
Kirkland and King County numbers
| Figure | Value |
|---|---|
| Kirkland population, April 2026 (OFM) | 98,860 |
| Kirkland residents 65+ (ACS 2020–2024) | 13,184 ±736 (14.2%) |
| King County Medicare beneficiaries (CMS, July 2026) | 368,813 |
| In Medicare Advantage and other health plans | 197,594 (53.6%) |
| In Original Medicare | 171,219 (46.4%) |
| Part D enrollees whose drug coverage is inside a health plan | 190,884 |
Sources: WA OFM; U.S. Census ACS table B09020; CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, July 2026. CMS does not report city-level Medicare counts.
That last row is the one I'd look at. Nearly 191,000 people in the county get drugs through a health plan, and that coverage ends when the plan ends. If you're one of them, replacing it is on you.
Where to get help
Nobody at the state level can reverse the plan's decision. OIC states it has no authority over Medicare Advantage plans; CMS oversees them. If you believe the plan mishandled the change, you can file a complaint with Medicare online.
For choosing what's next:
- SHIBA, Washington's free, no-sales Medicare counseling program: 800-562-6900, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. OIC's local King County listings showed "Currently not accepting appointments" on October 26, 2026.
- 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except some federal holidays. They can search Plan Finder with you by phone.
- Peter Kirk Community Center, 352 Kirkland Ave, 425-587-3360, open weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The city lists nutritional lunches, Meals on Wheels for the homebound, and van and transportation services among its 50-plus offerings.
- Community Living Connections, King County, 1-844-348-5464, for broader aging and disability services.
Plain fine print: federal Medicare rules and Washington law decide how this works, your plan's own notices set the dates that apply to you, and 1-800-MEDICARE, SHIBA or a licensed agent can confirm your specifics before you act.
Kirkland help questions
My Medicare plan was dropped in Kirkland. Who can help me for free?
Should I check BHC Fairfax Hospital in a new plan?
Does the Peter Kirk Community Center offer transportation?
Can Washington's insurance commissioner stop my plan from leaving?
Sources
- WA DOH hospital data
- CMS Hospital General Information
- City of Kirkland: Adult 50+ activities and services
- WA OFM April 1, 2026 population
- U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024 B09020
- CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, July 2026
- CMS CY2027 enrollment guidance
- WA OIC: Medicare Advantage plan changing or leaving
- RCW 48.66.055
- Medicare.gov: Part D costs and penalty
- WA OIC: local SHIBA offices
