27 days left in Annual Enrollment (ends Dec. 7)
Medicare in Washington State, explained simply.
A guide to Medicare for Washington State residents, from Seattle to Spokane and the San Juans to the Tri-Cities. Plain language, current numbers, and help from a licensed insurance agent when you need it.
Pick your Medicare Advantage company and county to see if your plan ends December 31.
Enter your ZIP code to see the Medicare plans available where you live.
You'll go to PlanMatchMedicare.com, a plan comparison site from Benefits Life, the publisher of this site. Only your ZIP code is sent.
Find an independent licensed insurance agent near you. No cost to you.
These independent licensed insurance agents work with Benefits Life, the publisher of this site. When they enroll you in a plan, the agent and Benefits Life may be paid by the insurance company. Learn more.
Or call a licensed insurance agent at (206) SENIORS (206-736-4677), TTY 711.
Licensed insurance agents for Washington
These independent insurance agents are licensed in Washington and work with Benefits Life, the publisher of this site. When they enroll you in a plan, the agent and Benefits Life may be paid by the insurance company. Learn more.
Where would you like to start?
Washington's Medicare landscape is shaped by the Cascades, the Columbia, the Sound, and the Palouse. Pick the topic that matters most to you.
The basics
What Medicare is, who qualifies, and the four parts (A, B, C, D) explained without jargon.
Medicare Advantage
How Part C plans work in Washington: networks, plan types, and what to watch for.
Medigap
Supplement plans, Washington's Medigap rules and when you can buy or switch without health questions.
Prescription drugs
Part D plans, the yearly out-of-pocket cap ($2,100 in 2026), and Extra Help in Washington.
2026 costs
Premiums, deductibles, and copays for the current year, from CMS figures.
Enrollment periods
When you can sign up, switch, or drop a plan, including Washington's wildfire and disaster SEPs.
WA Cares Fund
How Washington's long-term care benefit does (and doesn't) work with Medicare.
Find a local agent
Connect with a licensed insurance agent in Washington who can review your options at no cost to you.
Start with where you are
Plain-English guides for the moments when Medicare decisions come up.
Turning 65 in Washington
A month-by-month checklist: Social Security, Parts A and B, Medigap's one-time window, Apple Health help.
Read the guideMoving to Washington
What moves with you, what doesn't, and the deadline to pick a plan where you now live.
Read the guideOpen Enrollment for 2027
October 15 to December 7: what to check in your plan's letter and what's changing in Washington.
Read the guideMedicare Advantage or Medigap?
How the two paths compare in Washington: networks, travel, costs and the one-time Medigap window.
Read the guideBuilt for Washington
National Medicare websites can't tell you what plans are actually sold in Wenatchee, how tribal health programs coordinate with Medicare, or what to do when wildfires force you to evacuate during open enrollment. This site is built for the specifics of Medicare in Washington.
Coverage from coast to coast
Pages for all 39 Washington counties, grouped by region: Puget Sound, the Olympic Peninsula, the San Juans and the Northwest, Southwest Washington, Yakima and Central Washington, the Tri-Cities, and Spokane and the Inland Northwest.
Programs that only matter here
Apple Health (the state's Medicaid program), the WA Cares Fund, PEBB and SEBB retiree coverage, tribal health, San Juan ferry-access care, and TRICARE For Life near Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Is your plan ending?
CMS's 2027 data shows many Washington Medicare Advantage plans ending December 31. See whether yours is one of them and your deadlines.
Apple Health and Medicare
How Washington's Medicaid program, the Medicare Savings Programs and long-term care help work with Medicare.
Plans differ by county
For 2027, CMS lists 35 Medicare Advantage plans open to everyone in Pierce County and 1 in Clallam County.
PEBB and SEBB retirees
Retired state and school employees have their own Medicare rules through the Health Care Authority.
Tribal health and IHS
How Medicare works with Indian Health Service, tribal and urban Indian health programs in Washington.
TRICARE For Life
Military retirees near Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Kitsap and Whidbey Island: why Part B matters.
San Juan Islands and ferry access
Getting to off-island care, and what Medicare covers when the ferry is the only way there.
Not sure where to start?
A licensed insurance agent in Washington can review your situation, compare plans from the companies they work with in your county and help you enroll, at no cost to you.
Find a Washington agentAgents are paid by insurance companies, not by you. If an agent enrolls you in a plan, the agent and Benefits Life, the publisher of this site, may be paid by the insurance company.
Medicare by county in Washington
Find agents and the 2027 plans sold where you live. Plan counts are Medicare Advantage plans open to everyone, from CMS.
King County
Pierce County
Snohomish County
Spokane County
Clark County
Thurston County
Kitsap County
Yakima County
What does Medicare cost?
Key numbers every Washington beneficiary should know.
Frequently asked questions
When can I enroll in Medicare in Washington?
Most Washington residents become eligible at age 65 and have a 7-month Initial Enrollment Period: the 3 months before your 65th birthday month, your birthday month, and the 3 months after. Outside that window, the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 to December 7) and Special Enrollment Periods may apply, including one for people who miss an enrollment period because of a declared disaster such as a wildfire.
Does Washington have its own Medicare program?
No. Medicare is a federal program. But Washington has state programs that work alongside it: Apple Health (Medicaid) and the Medicare Savings Programs for people who qualify, the WA Cares Fund for long-term care, and PEBB and SEBB retiree coverage that coordinates with Medicare.
What's the difference between Medicare and Apple Health?
Medicare is federal health insurance for people 65 and older and some younger people with disabilities. Apple Health is Washington's Medicaid program, run by the state and based on income. You can have both at the same time if you qualify; that's called being dual-eligible.
Is the WA Cares Fund the same as Medicare?
No. The WA Cares Fund is Washington's long-term care insurance program, paid for by a premium on Washington workers' wages. Medicare is federal health insurance with very limited long-term care coverage. They serve different purposes and are not connected.
Are the same Medicare Advantage plans sold everywhere in Washington?
No. Plans are sold county by county: the Puget Sound counties have the most to choose from, and many rural counties east of the Cascades and on the coast far fewer. Original Medicare, Medigap and standalone Part D plans are available in every county. See your county's page for its CMS plan counts.
How do I find a licensed insurance agent in my area?
Use the agent search at the top of this page, or call (206) SENIORS (206-736-4677), TTY 711. Agents listed here are licensed in Washington and can compare plans with you at no cost to you. You can also contact Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or Medicare.gov for information on all of your options.