For most people in Poulsbo, "Medicare Advantage changes for 2027" means a new copay here and a network tweak there. For some, it means the plan itself is going away on December 31, 2026. If you're in the second group, the 2027 numbers below matter more to you than to anyone, because you may be buying drug coverage on your own for the first time.
The 2027 Medicare numbers that touch a plan-ending decision
| Federal figure | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Highest deductible a Part D plan may charge | $615 | $700 |
| Out-of-pocket cap on covered Part D drugs | $2,100 | $2,400 |
| National base beneficiary premium (used for the late penalty) | $38.99 | $41.33 |
Sources: Medicare.gov Part D costs; CMS CY2027 Rate Announcement (April 6, 2026); CMS Parts C and D announcement (July 28, 2026).
Why these three? If you move from a Medicare Advantage plan with built-in drug coverage to Original Medicare, you'll need a stand-alone Part D plan. The deductible and the cap tell you the worst case on covered drugs for the year: once your out-of-pocket spending on covered drugs hits $2,400 in 2027, you pay nothing more for covered Part D drugs that year. The base premium is what Medicare uses to calculate the late enrollment penalty if you go too long without drug coverage. Two plans with the same cap can still treat your particular prescriptions and your Poulsbo pharmacy very differently, so the cap alone won't choose for you.
Poulsbo and North Kitsap, in people
| Poulsbo | Kitsap County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population, April 1, 2026 (OFM) | 13,510 | 291,800 |
| Age 65+ (ACS 2020–2024) | about 2,600 (21.6%, ±3.3 points) | 54,611 (19.7%) |
| Medicare beneficiaries (CMS, July 2026) | Not published by city | 67,198 |
| Part D through a stand-alone plan | Not published by city | 23,017 |
| Part D through a Medicare Advantage plan | Not published by city | 25,169 |
Sources: WA OFM; U.S. Census ACS 5-year table B09020; CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment (county-level).
Poulsbo is a little older than the county as a whole. Countywide, the two ways of getting Part D are close to a tie: 25,169 people had drug coverage built into a Medicare Advantage plan and 23,017 had a stand-alone plan. If your plan is ending and you switch to Original Medicare, you move from the first group to the second, and you are the one choosing the drug plan.
What actually changes when your plan ends
Your plan pays through December 31, 2026. Nothing about your care changes before then. After that, it depends on what you do:
- You pick another Medicare Advantage plan by December 31. It starts January 1, 2027. Check that your doctors and pharmacy are in its 2027 network. Being enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan on New Year's Day also opens a one-time do-over between January 1 and March 31.
- You pick Original Medicare plus a Part D plan by December 31. Both start January 1. A Medigap policy is open to you with no medical underwriting under Washington's guaranteed issue law (RCW 48.66.055). OIC's advice is to send the application on or after November 1; the window shuts March 4, 2027.
- You pick nothing. You land in Original Medicare on January 1 with no drug plan, unless you're an Extra Help member; CMS places those members in a stand-alone drug plan. And here is the trap: that January–March do-over belongs to Medicare Advantage members only. If the default put you in Original Medicare, the door back into Medicare Advantage is the plan-ending special enrollment period, and it shuts on February 28, 2027.
That special enrollment period runs from December 8, 2026 to February 28, 2027. Choices in January take effect February 1; choices in February take effect March 1. Either one means at least a month without drug coverage. The statewide guide lays out every window side by side.
Help in Poulsbo itself
The Kitsap County Division of Aging and Long Term Care runs a Poulsbo office and caregiver support center inside Fishline, at 19705 Viking Ave NW. The main number is 360-337-5700 (toll-free 1-800-562-6418).
SHIBA, the state's free and unbiased Medicare counseling program, takes calls at 800-562-6900 on weekdays (8:30 to 4:30). Kitsap's local SHIBA sponsor, Peninsula Community Health Services in Bremerton, showed this on OIC's site on October 26, 2026: "Currently not accepting appointments. For assistance, call Medicare at 1-800-633-4227." 1-800-MEDICARE answers 24/7 except some federal holidays, and Medicare Plan Finder prices 2027 drug plans against your prescription list.
The hospital the state lists for Kitsap County is St. Michael Medical Center, on NW Myhre Road in Silverdale. Kitsap Transit's route list includes a Poulsbo/Myhre route (331); check its map before you rely on it. With a Medicare card, the reduced fare on routed buses is $1.00, and ACCESS paratransit covers riders who can't use the regular buses. The Bainbridge Island page and the Kitsap County page cover nearby situations.
These are federal Medicare rules and Washington law in plain words, not a replacement for your plan's own notice, which sets your dates; run your situation past SHIBA, a licensed agent or 1-800-MEDICARE before you decide.
Poulsbo questions about 2027
What is the Part D out-of-pocket cap in 2027?
If my plan ends and I do nothing, can I still switch during January through March?
Where is Medicare help in Poulsbo?
Sources
- Medicare.gov Part D costs
- CMS CY2027 Rate Announcement
- CMS Parts C and D announcement, July 28, 2026
- WA OFM April 1, 2026 population
- U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, table B09020
- CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, July 2026
- CMS CY2027 enrollment guidance
- RCW 48.66.055
- Community Living Connections directory
- WA OIC: Find a local SHIBA office
- WA DOH hospital data (HOFIDAR)
- Kitsap Transit fares and routes
- Kitsap Transit ACCESS
