Published · Last updated
Spokane County status: federal protections active
Medicare emergency assistance applies to Washington wildfires affecting areas near Spokane County.
CMS says wildfire emergency conditions began August 1, 2026, and are continuing. The federal public health emergency was declared August 7 and made effective back to August 1. The affected fires named by CMS include Fairview, Autumn Lane and Old Trails near Spokane County.
What Medicare help is available during the Spokane wildfire emergency?
Medicare and CMS have emergency rules intended to keep care available when people are displaced, pharmacies are inaccessible, equipment is damaged or normal health care operations are interrupted. The help that applies depends on your coverage and circumstances.
For individual assistance, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048. If you are in immediate danger or have a medical emergency, call 911.
Four Medicare protections to know
Prescriptions
Part D access when your usual pharmacy is unavailable
CMS says Part D plans must make sure displaced beneficiaries can obtain covered drugs at out-of-network pharmacies when normal access is disrupted. Plans are expected to remove refill-too-soon limits when medication was lost because of the emergency. Call your Part D plan first, or 1-800-MEDICARE if you need help.
Medical equipment
Replacement of lost or damaged Medicare equipment
Medicare beneficiaries may get replacements for covered durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies lost or damaged in the emergency. That can include items Medicare originally paid for. Call 1-800-MEDICARE for help with the replacement process.
Dialysis
ESRD Network 16 is assisting Spokane County
CMS says ESRD Network 16 is helping dialysis patients and facilities in Spokane County. Call the network's emergency hotline at 1-800-232-3773 if treatment access has been disrupted.
Enrollment
A disaster Special Enrollment Period may apply
If the declared emergency prevented you from using another valid Medicare enrollment period, you may qualify for a disaster or emergency Special Enrollment Period. This is not automatic for every Spokane-area resident and is not a general open-enrollment window.
Can I change Medicare plans because of the wildfire?
Possibly, but only in specific circumstances. Medicare.gov says an emergency Special Enrollment Period may be available when the declared disaster or emergency kept you from using another enrollment opportunity for which you were already eligible. Examples can involve enrollment in Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage or a Medicare drug plan, depending on the missed period.
Do not assume the wildfire creates a new plan-change right by itself. Call 1-800-MEDICARE and explain which enrollment period you missed, how the emergency prevented you from using it and the dates involved. Because the emergency is still active, this page does not list a fixed deadline.
What to do now
- 1. Protect immediate health needs. Call 911 for urgent medical help. Contact your doctor, dialysis center, plan or pharmacy as soon as normal access is interrupted.
- 2. Keep a simple record. Note the dates you were displaced, prescriptions or equipment lost, calls made and any enrollment deadline the emergency prevented you from meeting.
- 3. Call the right Medicare contact.Use your plan's member-service number for plan benefits. Call 1-800-MEDICARE for Original Medicare, replacement-equipment or enrollment questions.
- 4. Verify before changing coverage. If you believe you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, confirm eligibility and the applicable deadline with Medicare before submitting a change.
Organize prescription information
Keep an up-to-date list of medications, doses and pharmacies so a replacement or emergency refill can be reviewed accurately.
Use the prescription review guide →Find local Medicare guidance
Start with our Spokane Medicare guide for enrollment basics, official resources and questions to prepare before asking for help.
Medicare help in Spokane →Common questions
Does the Spokane wildfire let me change Medicare plans?
Not automatically. Medicare says a disaster or emergency Special Enrollment Period may be available if the declared emergency prevented you from using another valid enrollment period. Call 1-800-MEDICARE to ask whether your circumstances qualify.
Can I refill a Medicare Part D prescription during the wildfire emergency?
CMS says Part D plans must make sure displaced beneficiaries can get covered drugs at out-of-network pharmacies when normal access is disrupted. Plans are also expected to remove refill-too-soon edits when medication was lost because of the emergency. Contact your plan or 1-800-MEDICARE for help.
Will Medicare replace equipment damaged by a wildfire?
Medicare beneficiaries may get replacements for covered durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies that were lost or damaged in the emergency. Call 1-800-MEDICARE for assistance with the replacement process.
Where can Spokane dialysis patients get emergency help?
CMS says ESRD Network 16 is helping dialysis patients and facilities in Spokane County. Its emergency hotline is 1-800-232-3773. People facing an immediate medical emergency should call 911.
Official sources reviewed
- CMS Washington wildfire public health emergency alert for Spokane-area conditions, prescription access, equipment replacement and dialysis assistance.
- CMS current emergencies page for the active Washington declaration and federal updates.
- Medicare.gov disaster and emergency guidance for coverage access and disaster Special Enrollment Period rules.
- Medicare.gov Special Enrollment Period guidance for additional enrollment timing information.
Independent local reporting
Health Insurance Options LLC is not affiliated with CMS, Medicare or any emergency-response agency. This page summarizes public information and does not determine eligibility for an enrollment period or benefit.
Update log
— Published with CMS protections for the Washington wildfire emergency and Spokane County assistance details. We will update this page when the federal emergency status or Medicare instructions change.