This page is about the city of Snohomish, the riverside town of 10,770 people, not the whole county that shares its name (the county has its own page). The city is small but noticeably older: about one resident in five is 65 or older, a 20.1% share against 14.8% for the county. If your Medicare Advantage plan sent a non-renewal letter, you may also have heard a few things that aren't quite right. Let's clear those up first.
What people get wrong about a non-renewal
"I'll lose Medicare if I don't act."
No. Your plan pays through December 31, 2026. Choose nothing and Medicare switches you to Original Medicare when January 1, 2027 arrives, so Parts A and B carry on. What you would lose is the drug coverage that was built into your plan. Nobody replaces it for you, with one exception: people receiving Extra Help get placed in a stand-alone drug plan by CMS.
"The deadline was December 7."
That's the end of regular Open Enrollment. Because your plan is not renewing, you get an extra window, December 8, 2026 through February 28, 2027. The catch is timing: a choice made by December 31 starts January 1, but one made in January starts February 1 and one in February starts March 1.
"I can fix it any time before March 31."
Only partly true. The January 1 to March 31 Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period lets people already in a Medicare Advantage plan make one change. If you drifted into Original Medicare on January 1, you aren't in a plan, so that window doesn't help you; your deadline is February 28.
"A new plan will cover the same doctors and drugs."
Never assume it. Each Medicare Advantage plan has its own network and its own list of covered drugs, and both change every year. Check every doctor, every prescription and your pharmacy against the specific plan's 2027 details.
"If I go to Original Medicare, I'll be turned down for a supplement."
Not during this window. Under Washington law, anyone whose Medicare Advantage plan is terminated and who switches to Original Medicare can buy certain Medigap policies on a guaranteed issue basis, meaning no health questions. OIC says to apply on or after November 1. The right ends 63 days after the plan does, on March 4, 2027. Miss that and insurers can generally screen you.
The city's numbers next to the county's
| Measure | City of Snohomish | Snohomish County |
|---|---|---|
| Residents counted by OFM, April 2026 | 10,770 | 879,700 |
| Aged 65 or older (Census estimate, 2020-24) | about 2,100, margin of 364 either way | 124,763 |
| Share 65+ | 20.1% | 14.8% |
| Land area | about 3.5 square miles | about 2,087 square miles |
| People in Medicare Advantage and other health plans (CMS, July 2026) | No city-level count | 91,088 of 152,940 |
Data: OFM's April 2026 count; the Census Bureau's American Community Survey five-year estimates and 2025 Gazetteer; CMS monthly enrollment for July 2026. Small cities get wider survey margins.
Only Edmonds is older on our county list.
If you want to stay in a Medicare Advantage plan
Plenty of people do, and that's a reasonable choice. A few things to do in order:
- Pull up 2027 plans for your ZIP code on Medicare Plan Finder and enter every drug with its dose and your pharmacy.
- Narrow to plans that list your doctors. The city has no hospital of its own in state or federal records, so check the specific hospital you'd use, by name.
- Compare total yearly cost, not just the premium: premiums, copays, the plan's out-of-pocket limit and your drug costs. Under 2027 federal rules, no Part D plan can make you pay more than $2,400 out of pocket for covered drugs.
- Join by December 31 so the plan starts January 1. You then keep the January to March option to make one more change if something turns out wrong.
Going to Original Medicare instead? Then you need a stand-alone Part D plan, and you'll want to decide on Medigap before March 4. The statewide guide for Washington covers that road in detail.
Help in town
- Snohomish Senior Center, 506 Fourth Street (360-568-0934), is on the county's senior center list. Ask whether they have OIC's printed Open Enrollment Tool Kit.
- SHIBA, free and unbiased, answers its statewide line at 800-562-6900, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. OIC's county SHIBA entry, as of October 26, 2026, read: "Currently not accepting appointments. For assistance, call Medicare at 1-800-633-4227."
- 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048) is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except some federal holidays.
- Homage handles Community Living Connections referrals for the county at 425-513-1900.
Nothing here overrides federal Medicare rules, Washington law or the specific dates in your plan's notice; run your plan of action past Medicare's toll-free line, a SHIBA volunteer or a licensed agent first.
City of Snohomish questions
Is this page for the city of Snohomish or Snohomish County?
My plan is not renewing. Can I use the January to March switch?
Does the city have a senior center?
How many older adults live in the city of Snohomish?
Sources
- WA OFM: April 1, 2026 population of cities, towns and counties
- U.S. Census Bureau: ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B09020 (population 65+)
- CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, July 2026 (Washington counties)
- CMS: CY 2027 MA and Part D Enrollment and Disenrollment Guidance
- Medicare.gov: Special Enrollment Periods
- RCW 48.66.055: Medigap guaranteed issue (Washington)
- Washington OIC: Is your Medicare Advantage plan changing or leaving?
- Medicare.gov: Part D costs and late enrollment penalty
- WA DOH hospital data (HOFIDAR, data.wa.gov)
- Snohomish County: Senior Centers listing (2026, PDF)
- Washington OIC: Get free Medicare help from SHIBA
- Washington OIC: Find a local SHIBA office (checked Oct 26, 2026)
- Medicare Plan Finder
