Medicare Advantage Discontinued in Pacific County, WA

More than a third of Pacific County's residents are 65 or older: 8,697 out of 23,950 in the state's 2025 estimate. If you're one of the 2,084 people here in Medicare Advantage and other health plans and you've been told it's ending after December 31, 2026, the decision you make in the next two months will shape how you get care on the coast, and across the river in Oregon, next year.

The numbers behind the letter

Pacific County, July 2026	People	Share of Medicare enrollees
Everyone with Medicare	9,308	100%
Original Medicare	7,224	77.6%
Medicare Advantage and other health plans	2,084	22.4%
Also on Apple Health (dual eligible)	1,494	16.1%
Medicare because of a disability	816	8.8%
Drug coverage through a stand-alone Part D plan	5,167	55.5%
Drug coverage inside a Medicare Advantage plan	1,943	20.9%

Source: CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, July 2026. Counts are people, not plans; shares are my calculation.

Pacific County runs the opposite of the statewide pattern. Across Washington, private plans hold about half of Medicare enrollees; here it's closer to one in five. So the typical setup on the coast is Original Medicare with a separate drug plan, and the 1,943 people whose drugs ride inside a private plan are the ones most exposed when that plan ends. Their prescription coverage ends after December 31 unless something replaces it.

Peninsula or Willapa Harbor: where your care actually happens

Willapa Bay splits the county, and the 293 square miles of water inside its borders are a real factor in how far you drive. State DOH data lists two hospitals, both critical access hospitals, the federal category for small rural hospitals:

If you live on the Long Beach Peninsula or near Ilwaco

Ocean Beach Hospital is in Ilwaco. Across the river, Pacific Transit's Pacific Go dial-a-ride now runs a dedicated zone to major medical facilities in Astoria, Oregon. If you're weighing another Medicare Advantage plan, the question isn't only whether Ocean Beach Hospital is in network for 2027. It's whether the Oregon doctors and hospital you'd be sent to are in it too.

If you live in Raymond, South Bend or nearby

Willapa Harbor Hospital is in South Bend, the county seat. To the north, Pacific Go also has a zone for major medical facilities in Aberdeen, in Grays Harbor County. Same check: ask about the local hospital and the Aberdeen providers your doctor refers to.

Whichever end of the county you're on, write down every place you went for care in the last two years. That list is your network test.

Care across the Columbia

Pacific County shares a border with Clatsop County, Oregon. That makes the choice between the two Medicare roads more concrete than in most places:

Original Medicare has no network. A doctor or hospital that accepts Medicare can bill it whether the office is in Long Beach or Astoria. Medicare's handbook notes there's no yearly limit on your share, which is one reason some people add a Medigap policy; drug coverage comes from a separate Part D plan.
Medicare Advantage plans may rely on networks and service areas for non-emergency care, and may need referrals for specialists. They do cap your yearly out-of-pocket spending on covered services. A plan sold in Washington may or may not include Oregon providers, so ask.

If you go with Original Medicare, Washington gives you a guaranteed right to buy certain Medigap policies because your plan is ending (RCW 48.66.055). No health questions, no higher price for your health history. OIC says apply on or after November 1; the right ends March 4, 2027. You lose the chance if you pick another Medicare Advantage plan instead. The statewide guide lists which Medigap plans qualify for your eligibility year.

Four dates to keep

December 31, 2026. Final day of your current plan, and the last day to choose for a January 1 start with no gap.
December 8, 2026 to February 28, 2027. Your special enrollment period. Medicare's regular open enrollment closes December 7, but this one keeps going. January choices start February 1; February choices start March 1.
January 1, 2027. If you haven't chosen, Medicare moves you to Original Medicare without a drug plan. The exception is Extra Help: CMS reassigns those members to a stand-alone drug plan.
March 4, 2027. The Medigap guaranteed issue right runs out.

The 816 people here on Medicare because of a disability should call SHIBA before banking on a Medigap policy. Washington isn't among the states CMS lists as requiring Medigap sales to people under 65, and OIC says options for that group are more limited.

The 1,494 dual-eligible residents, those with both Medicare and Apple Health, have a bit more room. Medicaid or Extra Help allows one switch of stand-alone drug plan in any calendar month, taking effect the 1st of the next month, and Extra Help means no Part D late penalty. People with full Apple Health benefits can also look at Apple Health Medicare Connect, HCA's name for integrated plans that coordinate Medicare and Medicaid, in any month one is offered here. If you get Extra Help and do nothing, watch the mail for a notice from CMS about the drug plan it assigns you, and check that it covers your prescriptions at a pharmacy you can reach.

Rides to a new doctor

Pacific Transit's buses don't charge fares. Pacific Go, its dial-a-ride open to the general public, currently charges no fare either; book at least a day ahead (up to 14 days) at 360-875-9418 for the Raymond and South Bend area or 360-642-9418 for the Peninsula between Chinook and Oysterville. Riders whose disabilities keep them off the fixed-route buses can apply for Pacific Paratransit, which gets first priority on bookings.

Two SHIBA offices, both pointing to the phone

OIC lists two SHIBA sites in the county, both run by Aging & Adult Services of Coastal Washington (formerly Olympic Area Agency on Aging): 430 3rd Street in Raymond and 1715-A Pacific Ave N. in Long Beach, phone 360-209-8338. On October 26, 2026, both listings read: "Currently not accepting appointments. For assistance, call Medicare at 1-800-633-4227." So:

Call the statewide SHIBA line at 800-562-6900, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., for free, unbiased help.
Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) any hour except some federal holidays, or use Medicare Plan Finder with your drug list.
For long-term care and community services, Community Living Connections through Olympic Area Agency on Aging: 360-942-2177.
If premiums are a stretch, look at HCA's Medicare Savings Programs, which have no asset test.

None of this overrides federal Medicare law, Washington law or the dates in your own plan notice; confirm the details for your case with 1-800-MEDICARE, SHIBA or a licensed agent.

Pacific County questions

How many people in Pacific County are in Medicare Advantage and other health plans?

CMS counted 2,084 people in Medicare Advantage and other health plans in July 2026, about 22.4% of the county's 9,308 Medicare enrollees. Most of the rest, 7,224 people, use Original Medicare.

Can I keep seeing doctors in Astoria after my plan ends?

With Original Medicare, you can see any provider that accepts Medicare, including in Oregon. With another Medicare Advantage plan, it depends on whether those Astoria providers are in that plan's 2027 network, so ask before you enroll.

Which hospitals are in Pacific County?

Washington DOH lists two critical access hospitals: Ocean Beach Hospital in Ilwaco and Willapa Harbor Hospital in South Bend.

Are the Raymond and Long Beach SHIBA offices open?

On October 26, 2026, OIC's listings for both said they were not accepting appointments and directed people to 1-800-MEDICARE. The statewide SHIBA line, 800-562-6900, was still available weekdays.

Is there a ride to medical appointments in Aberdeen or Astoria?

Pacific Transit's Pacific Go dial-a-ride includes medical transportation zones to Aberdeen and Astoria. Book at least one day ahead at 360-875-9418 (Raymond-South Bend) or 360-642-9418 (Peninsula).

Medicare Advantage plan discontinued in Pacific County: coast, bay and Oregon