Tacoma has something most Washington cities don't: the county's SHIBA sponsor, aging office and transit customer service center are all in Tacoma. If your Medicare Advantage plan sent a letter saying it won't be back in 2027, you can handle much of this without leaving the city. Here's where to start, then what the rules mean for you.
Tacoma addresses for a plan that's ending
| Who | Where in Tacoma | What they can do for you |
|---|---|---|
| Sound Outreach (Pierce County SHIBA sponsor) | 1116 S. 11th Street, 253-593-2111 | Hosts the county's SHIBA program. See the appointment note below. |
| Pierce County Aging and Disability Resources | 1501 Market St., Ste. 300, 253-798-4600 | Community Living Connections: rides, in-home help, caregiver support, benefits screening |
| Pierce Transit Customer Service Center | 505 E 25th St, 253-581-8000 | Regional Reduced Fare Permit for getting to new doctors by bus |
Sources: OIC Find a local SHIBA office; Washington Community Living Connections directory; Pierce Transit fares page. Retrieved October 2026.
A warning on the first row. On October 26, 2026, OIC's listing for Sound Outreach read: "Currently not accepting appointments. For assistance, call Medicare at 1-800-633-4227." That same line appeared on every local SHIBA listing in the state. So call before you go. The statewide SHIBA line, 800-562-6900 (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays), connects you to the same free, unbiased volunteer program, and 1-800-MEDICARE answers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week except some federal holidays.
On the third row: Pierce Transit's discounted fare is $1 a ride for people 65 and older or anyone who shows a Medicare card along with the Regional Reduced Fare Permit. The first permit card costs nothing. If switching plans means a new clinic across town, that's worth knowing before you choose.
What the numbers say about Tacoma
CMS publishes Medicare enrollment by county, not by city, so here is what we can say honestly. The Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 survey puts Tacoma's 65-and-older population at about 33,400 people, 15.0% of residents (margin of error 1,253). That is roughly a quarter of the county's older adults. Countywide, CMS counted 176,141 people with Medicare in July 2026, and 51.9% were in Medicare Advantage and other health plans. CMS doesn't publish city figures. If Tacoma matched the county rate, roughly half of its Medicare population would be in Medicare Advantage and other health plans, but that is an assumption, not a count.
Tacoma also has the county's hospital cluster: St. Joseph Medical Center, MultiCare Tacoma General/Allenmore Hospital, MultiCare Mary Bridge Children's Hospital, Wellfound Behavioral Health Hospital and a rehabilitation hospital are all inside the city on the state and CMS lists. That's an advantage. When you look at a replacement plan, the question isn't whether there's a hospital nearby; it's whether the one your doctors admit to, and the doctors themselves, are in that plan's 2027 network. Look up each name, not the hospital system in general.
The Medigap window and its two catches
If you leave Medicare Advantage for Original Medicare, you can add a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy to cover much of what Parts A and B don't. Normally an insurer can ask health questions and turn you down. Your plan leaving changes that. Washington law, RCW 48.66.055, gives you a guaranteed issue right: insurers must sell you certain policies, cover pre-existing conditions and not price you up for your health.
- Which policies: Plans A through F (including high-deductible F), K or L if you were first eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. Plans A, B, D, G (including high-deductible G), K or L if you were first eligible on or after that date. Washington's list goes beyond the federal floor.
- When to apply: OIC's instruction is November 1 or later. Send it in November or December and the policy can pick up January 1, 2027, the morning after your plan stops.
- Last day: March 4, 2027, which is 63 days after December 31.
- Proof: the non-renewal notice plus its postmarked envelope. Medigap companies may want copies.
Two catches. First, it's tied to Original Medicare; pick another Medicare Advantage plan and the right goes unused. Second, this right doesn't come back; apply later without another qualifying event and the insurer can ask about your health.
The rest of the calendar
Your current plan keeps covering you through December 31, 2026. Choose something by then and it begins January 1, with no gap. Regular Open Enrollment closes December 7. A plan exit adds a second chance that opens the next day, December 8, and lasts until the final day of February 2027; sign up in January for a February 1 start, or in February for March 1.
If you choose nothing, January 1 arrives with you back on Original Medicare. Parts A and B stay, but you have no drug plan and no Medigap. The exception is Extra Help: CMS reassigns people with Extra Help to a stand-alone drug plan. Everyone else needs to pick a Part D plan, or face pharmacy prices without coverage and possibly a late penalty after 63 days. Compare drug plans on Medicare Plan Finder with your actual prescriptions.
For the longer version, with the Part D figures and the rules for people who also have Apple Health, see the statewide guide to Medicare plan non-renewals in Washington. For the county numbers and the other Pierce County cities, see the Pierce County page.
This page follows federal Medicare rules and Washington law as of October 2026; your plan's letter controls your exact dates, so confirm anything unclear with 1-800-MEDICARE, SHIBA or a licensed agent.
Tacoma plan-change questions
Is the Tacoma SHIBA office seeing people right now?
Do the Tacoma hospitals take Original Medicare?
When should a Tacoma resident apply for a Medigap policy after a plan non-renewal?
How much is the bus to a new doctor in Tacoma?
Sources
- WA OIC: Find a local SHIBA office
- WA OIC: Is your Medicare Advantage plan changing or leaving?
- Washington Community Living Connections directory
- Pierce Transit: Fares and passes
- CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, July 2026
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024, table B09020
- WA DOH hospital data (HOFIDAR)
- RCW 48.66.055
- CMS CY2027 Enrollment and Disenrollment Guidance
- Choosing a Medigap Policy (CMS)
