Medicare Advantage

Before you pick a Seattle Medicare Advantage plan

King County has 59 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 27 plans are not coming back, 18 are new, and 31 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 10 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Seattle, not which plan to pick.

Medicare AdvantageSeattle, WA

SEATTLE — If you are shopping for a Medicare Advantage plan here this fall, the first thing worth knowing is not a number — it is the shape of your choices. Seattle sits inside King County, and for 2027 the county's Medicare Advantage lineup comes from 11 carriers, sold in a mix of HMO, HMO-POS and PPO designs, with a sizable slice built as Special Needs Plans for people with specific circumstances.

Understanding those categories — who sells what, and what each plan type actually is — makes the rest of the decision much easier.

Who sells Medicare Advantage in King County

Eleven carriers offer Medicare Advantage plans in the county for 2027, including Devoted Health, which is new to King County this year. Listed alphabetically, they are:

• Aetna (CVS Health)
• AgeRight Advantage
• Centene (WellCare)
• Community Health Plan of WA Medicare Advantage
• Elevance Health (Anthem)
• Humana
• Kaiser Permanente
• Molina Healthcare of Washington, Inc.
• Regence BlueShield
• UnitedHealthcare

Some carriers offer a wide range of plans, some offer only two, and some focus entirely on Special Needs Plans. The table below lists every plan by carrier, so you can see the full picture in one place.

We are deliberately not ranking these carriers or calling any of them larger or more popular. That would push you toward a plan for the wrong reason. What matters is whether a plan's network, drug list and rules fit your life — and that is a personal question, not a market-share question.

HMO, HMO-POS, PPO: what the plan type actually means

Every Medicare Advantage plan in King County for 2027 is either an HMO, an HMO-POS, or a PPO. Here is what those labels mean at the program level.

HMO (Health Maintenance Organization). You pick a primary care doctor and generally use the plan's network. Referrals are often required to see a specialist. Out-of-network care usually is not covered except in emergencies. In King County, 24 of the plans are HMOs.

HMO-POS (HMO with a Point-of-Service option). Same core idea as an HMO, but with a limited ability to see some out-of-network providers, usually at a higher cost. There are 15 HMO-POS plans available in the county.

PPO (Preferred Provider Organization). More flexible. You can see out-of-network providers without a referral, though you'll pay more than you would in-network. There are 29 PPO plans available in the county.

You may also see the term PFFS (Private Fee-for-Service) in Medicare literature. PFFS plans let you use any Medicare-approved provider who agrees to the plan's payment terms. No PFFS plans are on the King County list for 2027 — but it is a plan type Medicare allows, so it's worth knowing what it is.

Special Needs Plans: not for everyone, on purpose

Of the 68 Advantage plans in King County, 31 are Special Needs Plans (SNPs). SNPs are only open to people who meet specific eligibility rules. There are three kinds:

• D-SNP (Dual Eligible SNP) — for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid.
• C-SNP (Chronic Condition SNP) — for people with a qualifying chronic condition, such as diabetes or certain heart conditions.
• I-SNP (Institutional SNP) — for people who live in a nursing facility or need a nursing-home level of care at home.

If you don't meet the eligibility rules for an SNP, you can't enroll in one, even if the name sounds appealing. If you do meet the rules, an SNP can be worth a close look because these plans are designed around the population they serve.

Carriers offering SNPs in King County include AgeRight Advantage, Centene (WellCare), Community Health Plan of WA, Elevance Health (Anthem), Humana, Molina Healthcare of Washington, and UnitedHealthcare. The table below shows which specific plans are SNPs and which type each one is.

Drug coverage and the Part D numbers to remember

All 49 Medicare Advantage plans in King County for 2027 include prescription drug coverage (MA-PD). There are no stand-alone Part D plans listed for the county, which reflects how the market is structured here — drug coverage comes bundled with the Advantage plan.

A few program-level Part D facts that apply to any Medicare drug coverage in 2027:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615.
• The old "donut hole" coverage gap has been gone since 2025 — Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the year in monthly amounts instead of paying at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA income surcharges start above $109,000 for single filers in 2026.

How to actually narrow the list

With 68 plans to compare, most people find it easier to work in this order:

1. Start with your doctors and hospitals. Ask each one which Advantage plans they accept for 2027. This alone often cuts the list significantly. 2. Then pick the plan type that fits how you get care. If you travel or split time between states, a PPO's out-of-network flexibility may matter more. If you like the "one team, one system" model, an HMO may feel simpler. 3. Check the drug list (formulary). Every plan covers drugs, but not every plan covers your drugs the same way. 4. Confirm eligibility before considering an SNP. If you don't have Medicaid or a qualifying condition, an SNP isn't a fit.

Key dates

• Oct. 15 – Dec. 7: Annual Enrollment Period. This is when most people join, switch or drop Medicare Advantage and Part D plans.
• Jan. 1 – March 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period. If you're already in an Advantage plan, you can switch to another Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare during this window.