Medicare Advantage

Before Dec. 7: what changed in Lincoln MA plans

For 2027, Lincoln is looking at 41 Medicare Advantage plans: 18 new, 18 gone since 2026, and 11 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 4 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Lancaster County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

LINCOLN, Neb. — As the Annual Enrollment Period opens Oct. 15, 2026, the Medicare Advantage lineup Lincoln residents will choose from for 2027 looks noticeably different than the one they shopped last fall. Two carriers are leaving Lancaster County, two new carriers are coming in, and 18 individual plans will not return in their current form. Eighteen plans are new for 2027.

For most people on Medicare Advantage, this fall is a review, not a scramble. But the shape of the local market is shifting enough that it is worth a careful look before the Dec. 7, 2026 deadline.

How many Medicare Advantage plans are offered in Lincoln for 2027?

Lincoln is in Lancaster County, where Medicare Advantage availability is set. For plan year 2026, Lancaster County has 41 Medicare Advantage plans from 9 carriers, with HMO, HMO-POS and PPO options and 12 Special Needs Plans. For 2027, the carrier count stays close but the roster changes: 19 plans continue, 18 leave, 18 are new, and 4 are renamed. Seven of the continuing plans have a change to premium, deductible, type or name that CMS flags in the plan's Annual Notice of Change.

The table below lists every plan available in the county, by carrier and plan type, so you can see the full lineup at a glance.

Which carriers are coming to Lincoln and which are leaving in 2027?

Two carriers are exiting the county and two are entering. Leaving after 2026: Medica and Molina Healthcare of Illinois. New to Lancaster County for 2027: Devoted Health and Molina Healthcare of Nebraska.

The other seven carriers that served Lincoln in 2026 — Aetna (CVS Health), Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, Centene (WellCare), Great Plains Medicare Advantage, Humana, MyAdvocate Medicare Advantage, and UnitedHealthcare — continue in 2027, though several have added, dropped or renamed individual plans. Molina's D-SNP footprint moves from the Illinois-based entity to a Nebraska-based one; if you are enrolled, read the ANOC closely.

Which Medicare Advantage plans are not returning in Lancaster County for 2027?

Eighteen plans sold in 2026 will not be offered for 2027. They come from six carriers:

• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska: MA Access (PPO), MA Core (HMO), MA Secure (PPO)
• Centene (WellCare): Wellcare Assist Open (PPO), Wellcare Dual Access Sync Open (PPO D-SNP), Wellcare Patriot Giveback Open (PPO), Wellcare Simple Open (PPO)
• Great Plains Medicare Advantage: Great Plains Medicare Advantage (HMO I-SNP), Great Plains Medicare Advantage Gold (HMO I-SNP) — both are being refiled under the same names for 2027, so current members should still read the new plan documents
• Humana: Humana Full Access H5216-411 (PPO)
• Medica: Advantage Preferred (PPO), Advantage Select (PPO), Advantage Solution H8889-009 (PPO), Advantage Value (PPO)
• Molina Healthcare of Illinois: Molina Medicare Complete Care (HMO D-SNP) — Molina Healthcare of Nebraska is offering a plan of the same name for 2027
• UnitedHealthcare: UHC Dual Complete NE-S001, NE-S003, and NE-V001 (all HMO-POS D-SNP)

If your current plan is on this list, you are not automatically moved to another one. You will need to pick a new plan during Annual Enrollment or use the Special Enrollment Period described below.

Which Medicare Advantage plans are new in Lincoln for 2027?

Eighteen plans are new to Lancaster County for 2027. In alphabetical order by carrier:

• Aetna (CVS Health): Aetna Medicare Enhanced Extra (PPO), Aetna Medicare Signature (PPO)
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska: MA Assure (HMO-POS), MA Protect (PPO)
• Devoted Health: DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE ENHANCED 009 NE (PPO C-SNP), DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE GIVEBACK EXTRAS 010 NE (PPO C-SNP), DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE PLUS 006 NE (PPO C-SNP), DEVOTED CHOICE 001 NE (PPO), DEVOTED CHOICE GIVEBACK 002 NE (PPO), DEVOTED CHOICE GIVEBACK EXTRAS 011 NE (PPO), DEVOTED DUAL CHOICE 004 NE (PPO D-SNP), DEVOTED DUAL CHOICE FULL 008 NE (PPO D-SNP)
• Great Plains Medicare Advantage: Great Plains Medicare Advantage (HMO I-SNP), Great Plains Medicare Advantage Gold (HMO I-SNP)
• Molina Healthcare of Nebraska: Molina Medicare Complete Care (HMO D-SNP)
• UnitedHealthcare: AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx NE-MA2 (HMO-POS), UHC Dual Complete NE-QV1 (HMO-POS D-SNP), UHC Dual Complete NE-S4 (HMO-POS D-SNP)

Aetna also renamed four plans for 2027, and Centene renamed its Nebraska Total Care Dual Liberty Sync (HMO-POS D-SNP). A rename does not necessarily mean the plan is the same under the hood — check the ANOC.

What happens if my Medicare Advantage plan is leaving Lincoln?

If your plan is on the "leaving" list, Medicare gives you a Special Enrollment Period that runs from Dec. 8, 2026 through the end of February 2027 to pick another Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare and add a stand-alone Part D plan. You will get a non-renewal notice from your carrier, usually in early October. Keep it — it is proof of the SEP.

You can also handle the change inside the regular Annual Enrollment window (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026), which keeps coverage seamless on Jan. 1, 2027. Doing nothing is not an option here: a non-renewed plan simply ends, so without a choice you would be back on Original Medicare without drug coverage.

What else is changing in Medicare for 2027?

A few program-level numbers are confirmed for 2027. The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 (up from $2,100 in 2026). The Part D maximum deductible is $700 (up from $615 in 2026). The Part D national base beneficiary premium — a formula input, not what any specific plan charges — is $41.33 for 2027.

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, have not been announced yet. CMS typically publishes those figures in the fall, usually November. The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which lets you spread drug costs across the calendar year in monthly payments, continues in 2027.

How should Lincoln residents decide between plans for 2027?

Start with what you already use: your doctors, your pharmacy, and your prescriptions. Then check three things on each plan you are considering — is your doctor in network, is your pharmacy preferred, and are your drugs on the formulary. Plan type matters too: HMO plans route most care through a primary care doctor and in-network specialists; HMO-POS adds limited out-of-network access; PPO gives the widest provider choice but usually at a higher cost share.

Special Needs Plans (SNPs) are limited to specific groups. D-SNPs are for people with both Medicare and Medicaid. C-SNPs are for people with certain chronic conditions. I-SNPs are for people living in a qualifying institution such as a nursing facility. You cannot enroll in a SNP you do not qualify for.

The Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov lets you enter your drugs and pharmacy and compare total expected cost side by side.