Mason County Medicare Plan Ending Dec 31: What to Do

More than one in four Mason County residents is 65 or older. OFM counted 18,583 people in that age group in 2025, about 27% of the county. Mason also leans toward Original Medicare: in July 2026, 10,933 of the county's 20,064 Medicare enrollees (54.5%) were in Original Medicare, and 9,131 (45.5%) were in Medicare Advantage and other health plans (CMS counts, July 2026).

Mason County at a glance

People with Medicare (July 2026): 20,064
Original Medicare: 10,933 (54.5%; statewide, 50.3%)
Medicare Advantage and other health plans: 9,131 (45.5%; statewide, 49.7%)
Drug coverage through a Medicare Advantage plan: 8,659
Stand-alone Part D plan: 6,745
Dual-eligible (Medicare and Apple Health): 2,589 (1,405 full, 1,184 partial)
On Medicare due to disability: 1,686
Hospitals in the county (DOH and CMS lists): 1: Mason General Hospital, Shelton (Critical Access Hospital)

Sources: CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, July 2026; WA DOH and CMS hospital data; WA OFM population estimates.

One hospital, and the drive beyond it

Mason General Hospital in Shelton is the only hospital on state and CMS lists for the whole county. It is a Critical Access Hospital, the federal designation for small rural hospitals. The county covers about 960 square miles of land plus a lot of saltwater, from the Olympic foothills to Hood Canal and the South Sound inlets, and it borders Thurston, Kitsap, Pierce, Grays Harbor and Jefferson counties.

What that means in practice: a cardiologist, an oncologist or a joint replacement may well be in another county. If you get that kind of care in Olympia, Bremerton or Tacoma and you are weighing a replacement Medicare Advantage plan, the question isn't only "is Mason General in network?" It's whether the specialists and any bigger hospital you'd be sent to are in network too. Original Medicare sidesteps that question: any doctor or hospital, anywhere in the U.S., that accepts Medicare will take it.

Mason Transit Authority runs its in-county buses with no fare, and Washington 211's listing for its Dial-A-Ride shows no eligibility restrictions and no fee for trips inside the county. Trips out of the county on Route 6 to Olympia or Route 3 to Bremerton carry a fare, 50 cents one-way for seniors and reduced-fare riders. Customer service: 360-427-5033 or 800-374-3747.

Deadlines for a plan ending December 31

Your plan pays claims through December 31, 2026. Have a replacement picked by then and it kicks in on January 1, 2027, without a gap in between. A plan exit also earns you extra time: a special window running December 8, 2026 to February 28, 2027, where a January sign-up begins February 1 and a February sign-up begins March 1. Leave it all alone and Original Medicare takes over on New Year's Day, without a drug plan unless you get Extra Help. The 8,659 Mason residents whose drug coverage sits inside a Medicare Advantage plan should treat that last point seriously: a Part D plan doesn't appear on its own.

The statewide guide for a discontinued Medicare plan in Washington has the side-by-side comparison and PEBB retiree details.

If you choose Original Medicare

When your Medicare Advantage plan exits, Washington's RCW 48.66.055 gives you a guaranteed issue right to a Medigap policy if you move to Original Medicare. During that window the company can't turn you down, can't carve out conditions you already have, and can't price the policy higher because of your health. Plans available depend on when you were first eligible for Medicare: before 2020, Plans A through F (including high-deductible F), K or L; on or after January 1, 2020, A, B, D, G (including high-deductible G), K or L. OIC says apply on or after November 1. The window shuts March 4, 2027.

Pair the Medigap policy with a stand-alone Part D plan. For 2027 no Part D deductible can exceed $700, and covered drug spending is capped at $2,400 for the year.

Three questions to answer before you choose

Where would you go if you were admitted? If the answer is Mason General, check that first. If it's a hospital in Thurston, Kitsap or Pierce County, check that one by name too.
What does your drug list cost under each option? Enter every prescription and your usual pharmacy on Medicare Plan Finder. A plan that looks fine on premium can be expensive on one drug.
Could you see yourself wanting a supplement later? The no-health-questions window closes March 4, 2027. If there's a real chance you'd want Medigap in a few years, that argues for deciding now.

The 1,686 under-65 enrollees

About 8% of Mason County's Medicare enrollees qualify through disability rather than age. Their Medigap picture is harder. Nationally, Medigap insurers mostly aren't obligated to cover people younger than 65, and CMS's roster of states that force under-65 sales doesn't include Washington. Our state's plan-exit statute has no minimum age written into it, yet it only reaches policies an insurer is already selling to new enrollees, and OIC's rate list shows under-65 pricing from some insurers but not all. OIC's own wording is that your options are "more limited." Call SHIBA before dropping into Original Medicare without a supplement lined up, and know that you get a fresh Medigap open enrollment period when you turn 65.

Local help

The SHIBA sponsor serving Mason County is Senior Services for South Sound, based at 222 Columbia St. NW in Olympia (360-586-6181, ext. 134; [email protected]). Its OIC listing on October 26, 2026 carried the same notice as every local SHIBA office in the state that day: no appointments, call Medicare at 1-800-633-4227. SHIBA's statewide number, 800-562-6900, still answers Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and 1-800-MEDICARE runs 24 hours a day, except some federal holidays.

For aging and disability services, the Lewis-Mason-Thurston Area Agency on Aging has a Shelton office at 2008 Olympic Hwy N (360-427-2225 or 888-545-0910). If your income is limited, ask about Medicare Savings Programs through Apple Health, which have no asset test; applications go through washingtonconnection.org.

Federal Medicare regulations and Washington statutes are the basis for this page, though the notice from your plan controls your specific dates. Confirm your choice with 1-800-MEDICARE, SHIBA or a licensed agent first.

Mason County Medicare questions

Is Mason General Hospital the only hospital in Mason County?

It is the only hospital on Washington DOH and CMS lists for the county. It is a Critical Access Hospital in Shelton. If you need specialty or larger-hospital care in another county, check that those providers are in any new Medicare Advantage plan's network.

How many Mason County residents use Original Medicare?

CMS counted 10,933 of 20,064 Mason County Medicare enrollees in Original Medicare in July 2026, about 54.5%. The other 9,131 were in Medicare Advantage and other health plans.

I'm under 65 and on Medicare through disability. Can I get Medigap when my plan leaves?

It may be harder. Federal law generally doesn't require Medigap sales to people under 65 and Washington isn't on CMS's list of states that require it. As we read it, Washington's plan-ending guaranteed issue law has no age limit, but insurers only have to offer policies they sell to new customers. Call SHIBA at 800-562-6900 before deciding.

Can I get to an appointment in Olympia by bus from Mason County?

Mason Transit's Route 6 runs to Olympia, with a 50-cent one-way fare for seniors and reduced-fare riders. Buses within Mason County carry no fare. Call Mason Transit at 360-427-5033 or 800-374-3747.

Who is the SHIBA sponsor for Mason County?

Senior Services for South Sound in Olympia. On October 26, 2026 its OIC listing said it was not accepting appointments and directed people to 1-800-MEDICARE. SHIBA's statewide line, 800-562-6900, was still listed.

Mason County Medicare plan ending December 31: your next steps