Two things changed for Redmond's Medicare households in 2027. One is personal: some of you got a letter saying your Medicare Advantage plan won't be back next year. The other applies to everybody: the federal Part D numbers moved. If you're replacing a plan this fall, you need both pieces, so this page puts them together.
The 2027 drug numbers to know before you switch
Anyone who ends up in Original Medicare needs a stand-alone Part D plan, because a Medicare Advantage plan's drug coverage disappears along with the plan. CMS set these limits for every Part D plan:
| Federal Part D figure | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum deductible a plan may charge | $615 | $700 |
| Yearly ceiling on what you pay for covered drugs | $2,100 | $2,400 |
| National base beneficiary premium (used to calculate the late penalty) | $38.99 | $41.33 |
Sources: CMS CY2027 Rate Announcement (April 6, 2026); CMS Parts C & D announcement (July 28, 2026); Medicare.gov Part D costs page.
What this means in practice: the cap protects you from runaway drug bills, but it's $300 higher than this year, and a plan may now make you pay up to $700 before it starts sharing costs. Some plans charge less or no deductible. Run your actual prescriptions through Medicare Plan Finder rather than guessing from the headline numbers.
Why a short gap in drug coverage still costs you
Medicare can add a late enrollment penalty to your Part D premium if you go 63 days or more in a row without creditable drug coverage. The math: 1% of the national base beneficiary premium for each full month uncovered, added for as long as you have Part D. People with Extra Help don't pay it.
Here's the trap for someone whose plan is ending. Do nothing, and on January 1 you're in Original Medicare without a drug plan (unless you're an Extra Help member, whom CMS reassigns to a stand-alone plan). Pick a drug plan in February and it starts March 1. That's January and February with no coverage: 59 days, just under the penalty line, but two full months of paying pharmacy prices out of pocket. Pick it in March and you're past both the 63 days and your special enrollment window. The clean answer is to choose by December 31, 2026 so the new coverage starts January 1.
Redmond in the King County picture
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Redmond population (OFM, April 1, 2026) | 83,320 |
| Redmond residents 65+ (ACS 2020–2024) | about 8,000, or 10.4% |
| King County residents 65+ share (same survey) | 14.0% |
| King County people with Part D, July 2026 | 299,374 |
| of those, in a Medicare Advantage drug plan | 190,884 |
| of those, in a stand-alone drug plan | 108,490 |
Sources: WA OFM; Census ACS 2020–2024 (B09020); CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, July 2026. CMS reports Medicare enrollment by county, not by city.
Redmond skews younger than the county, so many people reading this are fairly new to Medicare. If you became eligible on or after January 1, 2020, keep that date handy; it decides which Medigap plans you can buy (below). And county-wide, nearly two out of three Part D enrollees get drug coverage through a Medicare Advantage plan. Those are the people a plan exit leaves without drugs on January 1 if they don't act.
Your options and windows, short version
- Your plan covers you through December 31, 2026.
- Join a different Medicare Advantage plan in King County, or go to Original Medicare with a stand-alone Part D plan and, if you want it, a Medigap policy.
- Open Enrollment ends December 7. Your plan-ending special enrollment period then runs December 8, 2026 through February 28, 2027.
- Medigap without health questions: Washington law guarantees it when your plan ends and you move to Original Medicare. If you were first eligible on or after January 1, 2020, your menu is Plan A, B, D, G or high-deductible G, K or L. OIC says apply no earlier than November 1; the window closes March 4, 2027.
The full rundown of both paths is in the statewide guide.
Redmond has no hospital in the DOH and CMS lists, so the hospitals and specialists you use are in other cities. Check each one by name in any Medicare Advantage plan's 2027 network before you enroll.
In Redmond: the new center and the train
The city opened the Redmond Senior & Community Center in May 2024, next to City Hall at 8703 160th Avenue NE. It's a good place to find out about classes and local programs; for the Medicare decision itself, use the phone numbers below.
Sound Transit's 2 Line now serves Redmond Technology, Marymoor Village and Downtown Redmond stations, which helps if a new network sends you to doctors in Bellevue or Seattle. Being 65 or having a Medicare card qualifies you to apply for a Regional Reduced Fare Permit.
Unbiased help: SHIBA's statewide line is 800-562-6900, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. When we checked on October 26, 2026, King County's local SHIBA sponsors were listed as not accepting appointments and pointed callers to 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), which answers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except some federal holidays.
These are federal Medicare and Washington rules as of late October 2026, and your plan's own letter controls the dates for you; before switching, double-check with a SHIBA counselor, Medicare's own line or a licensed agent.
Redmond readers ask about 2027
What is the Part D out-of-pocket cap for 2027?
If my Redmond plan ends and I wait until February, will I owe a late penalty?
I turned 65 in 2023. Which Medigap plans can I get without health questions?
Does Redmond’s senior center help with Medicare?
Sources
- CMS CY2027 Rate Announcement
- CMS Parts C & D announcement, July 28, 2026
- Medicare.gov: Part D costs
- CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, July 2026
- WA OFM April 1, 2026 population
- Census ACS 2020–2024, table B09020
- CMS CY2027 enrollment and disenrollment guidance
- OIC: Is your Medicare Advantage plan changing or leaving?
- City of Redmond: Senior & Community Center opening
- Sound Transit 2 Line schedule
- King County Metro: Regional Reduced Fare Permit
- OIC: Find a local SHIBA office
