Medicare by region · Bremerton, Silverdale, Port Orchard, Port Angeles, Sequim, Port Townsend, Shelton
A ferry ride from Seattle and a world away for plan networks: one big hospital in Silverdale, Navy retirees by the thousand, and the Olympic Peninsula’s public hospital districts where the nearest specialist may be across the water.
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Medicare in the region
Kitsap County is a Navy county on Medicare. Naval Base Kitsap is the third-largest naval installation in the country, and its retirees in Bremerton, Silverdale, Port Orchard and Poulsbo mostly reach 65 with TRICARE For Life, which makes a Medigap policy and a Part D plan usually redundant and turns the decision into whether an MA-only plan’s extras are worth it. Civilians rely on St. Michael Medical Center and, by ferry, on Seattle’s systems.
West and south, the Olympic Peninsula is hospital-district country. Port Angeles, Sequim and Port Townsend retirees — the Peninsula has one of the oldest populations in the state — use Olympic Medical Center and Jefferson Healthcare for most care and cross to Seattle for the rest. A Medigap policy covers both sides of the water without a network question; an Advantage plan needs checking on each side.
What to watch: Kitsap County’s civilian care runs largely through St. Michael Medical Center, and Naval Base Kitsap gives the county one of the largest TRICARE For Life populations in the West. On the Peninsula, Olympic Medical Center, Jefferson Healthcare and Mason Health are public hospital districts, and specialty care often means Seattle or Tacoma, which is where an Advantage network can stop.
Counties: Kitsap, Clallam, Jefferson, Mason.
Each contracts differently with each plan; we check your doctors first.
Turning 65? Your Initial Enrollment Period is the 7 months around your birthday. Already on Medicare? The Annual Election Period is Oct 15–Dec 7, and Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment runs Jan 1–Mar 31. Already have a Medigap policy? Washington lets you change it any time of year.
Your options
All-in-one Part C plans, often $0 premium, that use a local network — so whether UW Medicine, Providence, MultiCare or Kaiser is in it matters as much as the price.
How Advantage worksMedigap pairs with Original Medicare and lets you see any provider in the country that accepts Medicare — and in Washington you can change plans any time.
How Medigap worksStandalone drug coverage chosen around your medications and pharmacy. 2026 out-of-pocket cap: $2,100.
How Part D worksAdvantage plans built for a chronic condition, for nursing-facility care, or for people with both Medicare and Apple Health.
About SNPsQuestions from the Peninsula
Kitsap County typically offers a moderate Medicare Advantage menu, every Medigap carrier in Washington, and the full Part D lineup. Clallam, Jefferson and Mason counties have fewer Advantage plans. We compare what is sold at your address.
Some plans’ networks reach across the Sound and some do not, and the list changes each fall. A Medigap policy with Original Medicare covers UW, Swedish or Virginia Mason in Seattle the same way it covers Olympic Medical Center. We confirm before you enroll.
Nothing. Independent agents are paid by the carriers when you enroll, so comparing plans and reviewing your coverage each year is free to you.
Ready when you are
A short, friendly conversation — no pressure, no cost.
Written and reviewed by Darin Weidauer — licensed insurance agent (NPN 18580338, WA License #1010707), Gerontologist (USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology), MBA, Registered Social Security Analyst, and 22-year U.S. Air Force veteran.Last reviewed September 13, 2026. Plan availability, benefits and costs change every plan year — verify current details at Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or Washington SHIBA at 800-562-6900.