Medicare Plan Discontinued in Washington? What to Do

If your Medicare Advantage plan sent you a letter saying it is leaving Medicare or leaving your county, the date that matters most is December 31, 2026. That is the last day the plan covers you. Pick your 2027 coverage by then and it starts January 1 with no gap. Miss it and you still have until February 28, 2027 to choose, but every week you wait can leave you without drug coverage or a supplement for part of the new year.

You did nothing wrong. Plans decide each year where they operate, and Washington's Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) says it has no authority over Medicare Advantage plans; the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) oversees them. What you control is what replaces the plan.

What the letter means

Federal rules require a plan that is not renewing to mail every member a notice at least 90 days before the plan ends. For a plan ending December 31, that means the letter should have been mailed by early October. The notice must give the end date and describe your other options for getting Medicare coverage. CMS treats a plan dropping your county (a "service area reduction") the same way as a plan leaving Medicare altogether.

Three things to know about that letter:

Your current plan keeps working through December 31, 2026. Keep using your doctors and pharmacy as usual until then.
Keep the letter and the postmarked envelope. A Medigap insurer may ask for a copy to prove your guaranteed issue right.
Check the end date. The dates below assume December 31. If your letter says something else, ask 1-800-MEDICARE or SHIBA how the windows apply to you.

Your timeline, today through March 31, 2027

Medicare Open Enrollment is open now. Here is how the dates line up for a plan that ends December 31, 2026.

Date	What happens	What it means for you
Oct 15 – Dec 7, 2026	Medicare Open Enrollment	Anyone can change plans. Changes start January 1, 2027.
Oct 26 – Nov 23, 2026	PEBB retiree open enrollment	If your Medicare coverage comes through PEBB, changes go through the Health Care Authority (HCA), not Medicare.
Nov 1, 2026	OIC's earliest date to apply for Medigap	OIC tells people with a plan-leaving letter to apply for a Medigap policy no earlier than November 1 for guaranteed issue.
Dec 8, 2026	Your special enrollment period opens	Because your plan is ending, you get extra time after Open Enrollment closes.
Dec 31, 2026	Last day of your current plan	Choices made by today start January 1. This is the no-gap deadline.
Jan 1, 2027	New coverage starts	Either the plan you picked, or Original Medicare if you picked nothing.
January 2027	Special enrollment period continues	A choice made in January starts February 1.
Feb 28, 2027	Special enrollment period ends	A choice made in February starts March 1. After today the plan-leaving window is closed.
Mar 4, 2027	Medigap guaranteed issue window closes	63 days after your plan ends. After this, Medigap insurers can use health questions.
Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2027	Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment	Only for people who are in a Medicare Advantage plan. One change allowed.

One detail people miss: the January–March Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period is only for people already in a Medicare Advantage plan. If you land in Original Medicare on January 1, your window to join a new Medicare Advantage plan ends February 28.

Do this this week

Find the letter. Note the end date and put it somewhere safe with its envelope.
Write down your doctors, hospitals and pharmacy, including specialists you see once a year.
List every prescription with the dose and how often you take it.
Look at your 2027 options on Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov/plan-compare, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY 1-877-486-2048), which answers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week except some federal holidays.
Decide which road you want: another Medicare Advantage plan, or Original Medicare with a Part D drug plan and, if you want one, a Medigap policy. The table further down lays out the trade-offs.
If money is tight, apply for help now. Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help can lower premiums and drug costs.
Put December 31 on the calendar as your own deadline, even though the law gives you until February 28.

Your two roads

Medicare's own handbook puts it simply: if your plan stops participating in Medicare, you will have to join another Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare. Neither is right for everyone.

Road 1: Join another Medicare Advantage plan

You can switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan offered where you live. Join by December 31 and it starts January 1. Before you pick one, confirm each doctor and pharmacy is in its 2027 network and run your drug list through Plan Finder. Networks and drug lists change every year.

If you join a new Medicare Advantage plan that starts January 1, you also get the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (January 1 – March 31, 2027) to make one more change if it turns out badly.

Road 2: Original Medicare, plus Part D, plus optional Medigap

Original Medicare is Part A (hospital) and Part B (medical), run by the federal government. You can use any doctor or hospital in the U.S. that takes Medicare. It does not cover most prescriptions, and it has no yearly out-of-pocket limit on its own. That is why people on this road usually add two things:

A stand-alone Part D drug plan. OIC notes that most people going this route will also enroll in one.
A Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy, which pays some or all of the deductibles and coinsurance Original Medicare leaves to you. Because your plan is leaving, you have a guaranteed issue right to buy certain Medigap policies without health questions. Details are in the next section.

Question	Another Medicare Advantage plan	Original Medicare + Part D + optional Medigap
Who runs it	A private company approved by Medicare	Medicare runs Parts A and B; Part D and Medigap are separate private policies
Doctors and hospitals	Usually a network; check each provider	Any provider nationwide that accepts Medicare
Drug coverage	Most plans include it; check the plan	Separate Part D plan
Yearly limit on medical costs	Plans have a yearly limit on covered services	None in Original Medicare alone; Medigap can fill gaps
Specialist referrals	You may need one	In most cases, not needed
Can you switch later?	Yes, at the yearly windows	Part D yes; buying Medigap later usually means health questions

That last row is the one I'd think hardest about. Your guaranteed issue right is a one-time door. If you skip Medigap now and want it in two years, an insurer can generally ask about your health and say no.

Your Medigap guaranteed issue right in Washington

When a Medicare Advantage plan ends or leaves your area, federal law and Washington law (RCW 48.66.055) give you the right to buy certain Medigap policies. During this window an insurer must sell you the policy, must cover your pre-existing conditions, and can't charge you more because of your health.

When you first became eligible for Medicare	Medigap plans you can buy with guaranteed issue in Washington
Before January 1, 2020	Plans A through F (including high-deductible F), K or L
On or after January 1, 2020	Plans A, B, D, G (including high-deductible G), K or L

Washington's list is broader than the federal minimum, which is one reason to check state rules and not rely on national articles. The right covers policies the insurer currently sells to new customers.

When to apply. Under federal law and RCW 48.66.055, the window opens when you receive the termination notice and closes 63 days after your plan coverage ends, which is March 4, 2027 for a December 31 end date. Washington law says the insurer must accept an application sent before your plan ends, but the Medigap policy can't start until the Medicare Advantage coverage stops. OIC's practical instruction is to apply no earlier than November 1. Put together: apply between November 1 and December 31, 2026, and a Medigap policy can start January 1, 2027 with no gap.

The catch. The right applies if you move to Original Medicare. If you join another Medicare Advantage plan instead, you don't use this right, and once the 63 days pass it is gone.

Trial rights. If this was your first Medicare Advantage plan and you joined within the last 12 months, you may also have a "trial right." Ask SHIBA whether it applies to you.

What happens if you do nothing

If you don't choose anything, Medicare enrolls you in Original Medicare on January 1, 2027. You keep Part A and Part B. You are not left with zero health coverage.

What you can lose is everything your old plan bundled in, starting with drug coverage. Original Medicare doesn't add a Part D plan for you (unless you get Extra Help; see below). You also would not have a Medigap policy unless you buy one.

Then there is the Part D late enrollment penalty. Medicare may add a penalty to your drug premium if you go 63 or more days in a row without Part D or other creditable drug coverage. The penalty is 1% of the national base beneficiary premium (set at $41.33 for 2027) for each full month you were uncovered, and it is added for as long as you have Medicare drug coverage. People who get Extra Help don't pay it. Even if you stay under 63 days, every day without drug coverage means paying full price at the pharmacy. Choose by December 31.

Part D numbers for 2026 and 2027

If you take the Original Medicare road, these federal limits apply to every Part D plan.

Part D rule	2026	2027
Highest deductible any Part D plan can charge	$615	$700
Out-of-pocket cap on covered drugs	$2,100	$2,400
What you pay after reaching the cap	Nothing for covered Part D drugs for the rest of the year	Nothing for covered Part D drugs for the rest of the year

The cap counts what you spend on covered drugs, including certain payments made on your behalf, such as through Extra Help. Plans still differ in which drugs they cover and which pharmacies they use, so the cap alone doesn't tell you which plan fits.

Where to get unbiased help

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 help with plan questions and enrollment changes.
Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov/plan-compare. Enter your drugs and pharmacy to compare 2027 options where you live.
SHIBA (Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors), run by OIC, gives free, unbiased and confidential Medicare help through volunteers. Statewide line: 800-562-6900, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. OIC also has a "Send us a message" form on its SHIBA page.

A note on local SHIBA offices: when we checked OIC's "Find a local SHIBA office" page on October 26, 2026, every local listing said, "Currently not accepting appointments. For assistance, call Medicare at 1-800-633-4227." The statewide SHIBA line above was still listed. Call the statewide line or 1-800-MEDICARE first, and check the OIC page again before you drive anywhere.

You can also use a licensed agent. Ask which companies the agent represents, and remember you are never required to buy anything.

If you need help paying

Medicare Savings Programs. These are Apple Health (Medicaid) benefits run by the state that help pay Medicare premiums and, for some people, deductibles and copays. Washington's Health Care Authority says there is no asset test for these programs. You can apply online at washingtonconnection.org or on a paper application. OIC also points people to their local DSHS office.

Extra Help. A federal program that lowers Part D costs. You qualify automatically if you have Medicaid, a Medicare Savings Program or SSI; otherwise you can apply through Social Security.

If you have both Apple Health and Medicare

People with both Medicare and Apple Health (Medicaid), called dual eligibles, have extra options and a couple of different rules:

You can still use the plan-leaving special enrollment period through February 28, 2027, like everyone else.
If you have Medicaid or get Extra Help, you can switch to a stand-alone Part D plan once a calendar month, starting the first of the next month. This monthly change does not let you switch between Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage.
If you get full Medicaid benefits, you can join or switch to an integrated Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan once a calendar month if one is offered in your area. In Washington, HCA calls these plans Apple Health Medicare Connect.
If you get Extra Help and your Medicare Advantage plan is ending, CMS reassigns you to a stand-alone Part D plan unless you already have Part D for next year. You can still choose a different plan yourself.

If your coverage is through PEBB

If you are a Washington public employee retiree with Medicare coverage through the Public Employees Benefits Board, your plan choices run through PEBB. OIC tells PEBB members to contact HCA directly. PEBB retiree open enrollment runs October 26 through November 23, 2026, and changes take effect January 1, 2027. PEBB Benefits Services: 1-800-200-1004, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Before dropping PEBB coverage for an individual plan, ask PEBB whether you could come back later.

If you are under 65

If you have Medicare because of a disability or end-stage renal disease, OIC says your options are more limited. Federal law generally doesn't require insurers to sell Medigap to people under 65, and Washington is not on the CMS list of states that require it. Washington's guaranteed issue law for plans that end has no age limit, but an insurer only has to offer policies it sells to new customers, and OIC's list of approved Medigap plans shows under-65 rates for some insurers, not all. Call SHIBA at 800-562-6900 before you decide. When you turn 65 you get a new six-month Medigap open enrollment period.

Find your county

Adams County
Asotin County
Benton County · Kennewick, Richland, West Richland
Chelan County · Wenatchee
Clallam County · Port Angeles
Clark County · Battle Ground, Camas, Ridgefield, Vancouver, Washougal
Columbia County
Cowlitz County · Kelso, Longview
Douglas County · East Wenatchee
Ferry County
Franklin County · Pasco
Garfield County
Grant County · Moses Lake
Grays Harbor County · Aberdeen
Island County · Oak Harbor
Jefferson County · Port Townsend
King County · Auburn, Bellevue, Bothell, Burien, Covington, Des Moines, Enumclaw, Federal Way, Issaquah, Kenmore, Kent, Kirkland, Lake Forest Park, Maple Valley, Mercer Island, Newcastle, Redmond, Renton, Sammamish, SeaTac, Seattle, Shoreline, Snoqualmie, Tukwila, Woodinville
Kitsap County · Bainbridge Island, Bremerton, Port Orchard, Poulsbo
Kittitas County · Ellensburg
Klickitat County
Lewis County · Centralia
Lincoln County
Mason County · Shelton
Okanogan County
Pacific County
Pend Oreille County
Pierce County · Bonney Lake, DuPont, Edgewood, Fife, Gig Harbor, Lakewood, Puyallup, Sumner, Tacoma, University Place
San Juan County
Skagit County · Anacortes, Burlington, Mount Vernon, Sedro-Woolley
Skamania County
Snohomish County · Arlington, Edmonds, Everett, Lake Stevens, Lynnwood, Marysville, Mill Creek, Monroe, Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo, Snohomish
Spokane County · Airway Heights, Cheney, Liberty Lake, Spokane, Spokane Valley
Stevens County
Thurston County · Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater, Yelm
Wahkiakum County
Walla Walla County · College Place, Walla Walla
Whatcom County · Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden
Whitman County · Pullman
Yakima County · Grandview, Sunnyside, Yakima

The rules on this page come from federal Medicare law and Washington law, and your plan's own notices control the dates that apply to you. Confirm your situation with 1-800-MEDICARE, SHIBA or a licensed agent before you make a change.

Questions people ask

My Medicare Advantage plan is leaving my county. When is my deadline?

Pick new coverage by December 31, 2026 for it to start January 1 with no gap. Because your plan is ending, you also have a special enrollment period from December 8, 2026 through February 28, 2027. A choice made in January starts February 1, and one made in February starts March 1.

What happens if I don't do anything?

Medicare puts you in Original Medicare on January 1, 2027. You keep Part A and Part B, but your old plan's drug coverage ends, so you need a stand-alone Part D plan unless you get Extra Help, and you won't have a Medigap policy unless you buy one. Going 63 or more days in a row without creditable drug coverage can lead to a Part D late enrollment penalty that is added for as long as you have Medicare drug coverage.

Can I buy a Medigap policy without health questions?

Yes, if you move to Original Medicare. In Washington, people first eligible before 2020 can buy Plans A through F (including high-deductible F), K or L, and people first eligible on or after January 1, 2020 can buy Plans A, B, D, G (including high-deductible G), K or L. The window closes 63 days after your plan ends, which is March 4, 2027 for a December 31 end date. OIC says to apply no earlier than November 1.

Can I use the January to March Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period?

Only if you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1. If you land in Original Medicare because you did nothing, use the plan-leaving special enrollment period, which ends February 28, 2027.

Where can I get unbiased help in Washington?

Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week except some federal holidays, use Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov/plan-compare, or call SHIBA's statewide line at 800-562-6900, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. On October 26, 2026, OIC's local SHIBA listings said they were not accepting appointments and pointed people to 1-800-MEDICARE.

I have Apple Health and Medicare. Do different rules apply?

You get the same plan-leaving special enrollment period through February 28, 2027. With Medicaid or Extra Help you can also switch to a stand-alone Part D plan once a month, and with full Medicaid you can join an integrated D-SNP (called Apple Health Medicare Connect in Washington) once a month where one is offered. If you get Extra Help, CMS reassigns you to a stand-alone Part D plan when your Medicare Advantage plan ends, unless you already have Part D for next year.

Your Medicare plan is being discontinued in Washington. Here's what to do.