Medicare Advantage

Pasco, WA Medicare plan options for 2027

Pasco, Wash. — If you're sorting through Medicare choices in Pasco for 2027, the menu is bigger than many people expect. Pasco sits in Franklin County, where 39 Medicare Advantage plans were available for 2026, according to CMS Medicare Advantage and Part D Landscape data; the 2027 lineup is in each plan's Annual Notice of Change and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder. That gives the county's roughly 10,257 residents age 65 and older a wide field to compare during this fall's Annual Enrollment Period.

Counts, though, aren't the whole story. Knowing how many plans exist — and how they're organized — is the first step to making a calm, informed choice rather than a rushed one.

What "39 plans" actually means for Pasco

Medicare Advantage availability is set by county, not by city or ZIP code. So when we say Pasco has 39 Advantage plan options, we mean Franklin County has 39. Anyone with a Pasco address is generally shopping from that same county-level list.

Those 39 plans come from 7 different carriers offering Medicare Advantage with prescription drug coverage (MA-PD) in the area. Having several carriers matters because each one builds its own network of doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies. A plan that looks good on paper may or may not include the providers you already see.

Stand-alone Part D: what the data shows

The current CMS landscape data lists 0 stand-alone Part D prescription drug plans at the Franklin County level. In practice, most people who want drug coverage in this area get it bundled inside a Medicare Advantage plan (that's what "MA-PD" means).

If you have Original Medicare and want stand-alone Part D, this is a good question to bring to Medicare's Plan Finder at medicare.gov or to Washington's SHIP counselors (called SHIBA in this state). They can confirm what's available in your exact ZIP code and situation.

Star Ratings in the area

CMS publishes Star Ratings each year to measure plan quality. In the Franklin County service area, 0 contracts are currently rated 4 stars or higher in the data set we're using. Ratings can shift year to year, and a rating applies to a contract — not to your personal experience with a plan. Think of stars as one input among several, not a scoreboard.

Program facts worth knowing for 2027

A few numbers apply nationwide and are useful to keep in mind as you compare:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your out-of-pocket drug spending hits that amount, you pay nothing for covered Part D drugs the rest of the year.
• Part D maximum deductible: $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027.
• The coverage gap (the old "donut hole") is gone as of 2025. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan: an optional program that lets you spread your Part D costs into monthly payments instead of paying a large amount at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA: higher-income surcharges on Part B and Part D begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

Key dates for Pasco residents

• October 15 – December 7: Annual Enrollment Period. You can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan. Changes take effect January 1.
• January 1 – March 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance to switch to another Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare (and add a Part D plan).

How to compare without getting overwhelmed

Thirty-nine plans is a lot to look through, but you can narrow the field quickly by starting with what matters most to you:

1. Make a list of your regular doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies. 2. Write down the prescriptions you take, including dosages. 3. Note whether you travel often or split time between states.

Then use medicare.gov's Plan Finder, which lets you enter your ZIP code and medications and see side-by-side comparisons. Free, unbiased help is also available.