Medicare Advantage

Shopping Spokane's 2027 Medicare Advantage plans: a step-by-step way to compare before Dec. 7

People in Spokane can choose from 47 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 59 this year. 21 of this year’s plans are gone, 9 are new to Spokane County, and 28 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 10 of them under a new name.

Spokane, Wash. — Fall 2026 is the one stretch of the year when nearly every Medicare Advantage shopper in Spokane County looks at the same question at the same time: does my plan still fit for 2027? The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and any change you make now takes effect January 1, 2027. If you do nothing, your current plan simply renews next year — with whatever changes are spelled out in its Annual Notice of Change (ANOC).

This guide walks through how to compare the Medicare Advantage plans sold in Spokane County for 2027, step by step, using tools that are free and official.

How many Medicare Advantage plans are offered in Spokane County for 2027?

Spokane is in Spokane County, where 47 Medicare Advantage plans from 11 carriers are available for 2027, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source File. By plan type, that breaks down to 23 HMO, 9 HMO-POS and 15 PPO plans. 40 of the 47 include Part D prescription drug coverage.

For people with specific needs, the county has 22 Special Needs Plans for 2027: 18 Dual-Eligible SNPs (D-SNPs) for people with both Medicare and Medicaid, 2 Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs), and 2 Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs).

The 11 carriers offering plans in Spokane County for 2027 are, in alphabetical order: Aetna (CVS Health), Centene (WellCare), Community Health Plan of WA Medicare Advantage, Elevance Health (Anthem), HealthSpring, Humana, Kaiser Permanente, Molina Healthcare of Washington, Inc., MultiCare Health Plan Medicare Advantage Evergreen Plans, SCAN Health Plan, and UnitedHealthcare. The table on this page lists every plan.

What's new in Spokane for 2027?

Compared with 2026, Spokane County has 9 new Medicare Advantage plans for 2027 and 21 plans that are not returning. Several plans have also been renamed, which can be confusing because the plan ID may be the same even if the name on the mailer looks different.

A new face in the Spokane County lineup for 2027 is MultiCare Health Plan Medicare Advantage Evergreen Plans, offering 2 HMO plans. The full year-over-year detail — which specific plans are leaving, arriving or renamed — shows up in each carrier's ANOC and on the Medicare Plan Finder.

If your current plan is on the "not returning" list, your insurer must send you a non-renewal notice. You then get a Special Enrollment Period to pick a new plan, but it is easier to make the choice during the regular window that closes December 7.

What should I read before I compare plans?

The single most important piece of mail a current Medicare Advantage member gets each fall is the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), due by September 30. It is the plan's own summary of what is changing for 2027: premium, deductible, drug tiers, provider network, extra benefits, and out-of-pocket maximum.

Read your ANOC side by side with your pharmacy receipts and a list of the doctors you actually used this year. If nothing in the ANOC conflicts with how you use care, staying put is a legitimate choice. If something changed — a drug moved to a higher tier, a specialist left the network, your pharmacy is no longer "preferred" — that is your signal to shop.

A few program-level numbers for Part D are already set for 2027: the out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 (from $2,100 in 2026) and the maximum deductible rises to $700 (from $615 in 2026). The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, will be announced by CMS later this fall.

How do I compare Medicare Advantage plans step by step?

Here is a practical order of operations that works for most Spokane shoppers.

1. Start with your doctors and hospitals. Make a list of the providers you want to keep. On medicare.gov's Plan Finder, each plan links to its network directory, or you can call the plan directly. For HMO and HMO-POS plans, out-of-network care is generally not covered except for emergencies; PPO plans let you go out of network, usually at a higher cost. Confirm the provider is in-network for the specific plan, not just the carrier.

2. Enter your prescriptions. Plan Finder lets you type in each drug, dose and quantity. It will then show, for every plan, whether each drug is on the formulary, which tier it sits on, and the estimated yearly drug cost. A plan that looks cheap on paper can be expensive once your actual medications are entered.

3. Add your pharmacies. Most Part D plans have "preferred" and "standard" pharmacies, and the price for the same pill can differ between the two. Add the pharmacy you actually use (including mail order, if that's your preference) before you compare costs.

4. Match the plan type to how you want care managed. HMOs typically require a primary care doctor and referrals. HMO-POS plans allow some out-of-network care in defined situations. PPOs give the most flexibility to see any Medicare provider, usually with higher cost-sharing out of network. Spokane County's 2027 mix is 23 HMO, 9 HMO-POS and 15 PPO.

5. Check the extras you will really use. Dental, vision, hearing, over-the-counter allowances and fitness benefits vary a lot. A benefit you never use is not worth paying for in another form.

6. Look at the total picture, not just the premium. The Plan Finder's "estimated total yearly cost" is a better comparison than premium alone, because it folds in deductibles, copays and your drug costs.

7. If you qualify for a Special Needs Plan, compare only those. Spokane County has 22 SNPs for 2027. D-SNPs are for people with Medicaid, C-SNPs for certain chronic conditions, and I-SNPs for people in long-term care settings.

What tools should I use to shop Spokane plans?

The official tools are free:

• Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov/plan-compare — enter your ZIP code, your drugs and your pharmacies, and compare up to three plans side by side.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for personalized help.
• Each plan's Evidence of Coverage and provider directory, available on the carrier's website or by request.

Create a free account on medicare.gov to save your drug list and your plan comparisons — it makes next year's shopping much faster.

What if I do nothing by December 7?

If you take no action by December 7, 2026, and your current plan is still offered in Spokane County for 2027, you stay in it automatically with the changes described in your ANOC. If your plan is one of the 21 not returning, your coverage ends December 31, 2026, and you'll need to choose a new Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare (and consider a stand-alone Part D plan).

Medicare Advantage members also get a second window: the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, January 1 – March 31, 2027, which allows one switch to another Medicare Advantage plan or back to Original Medicare.