Medicare Advantage

Dual-eligible in Lincoln? Here's how the 2027 D-SNP lineup in Lancaster County shapes up

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. — Nebraskans who have both Medicare and Medicaid will see a wider slate of Dual Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) in Lancaster County for 2027, with new entries from Devoted Health and Molina alongside returning plans from Aetna, Centene (WellCare), Humana and UnitedHealthcare. The Annual Enrollment Period runs Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026, and any change made in that window takes effect Jan. 1, 2027 — but dual-eligible residents also have options outside that window that most other people on Medicare do not.

What is a D-SNP, and who qualifies in Lincoln for 2027?

A D-SNP is a type of Medicare Advantage plan built for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. To join, you need Medicare Part A and Part B and you must qualify for some form of Nebraska Medicaid assistance. Lincoln is in Lancaster County, where plan availability is set.

"Dual eligibility" is not one single status. People with "full" Medicaid get the broadest help, including long-term services and supports. People with "partial" Medicaid — the Medicare Savings Programs, such as QMB, SLMB or QI — get help with Medicare premiums and sometimes cost-sharing, but not full Medicaid benefits. Different D-SNPs are designed for different subsets of this group, so the plan you can actually join depends on which category you fall into. Nebraska Medicaid (through DHHS) is the office that confirms your level.

How many D-SNPs are offered in Lancaster County for 2027, and from which carriers?

For 2027, Lancaster County has 10 D-SNPs — part of the broader 41 Medicare Advantage plans available in the county — offered by six carriers. The table below lists every D-SNP in alphabetical order by carrier.

The carriers offering D-SNPs in the county for 2027 are:

• Aetna (CVS Health) — 1 D-SNP
• Centene (WellCare) — 1 D-SNP
• Devoted Health — 2 D-SNPs
• Humana — 2 D-SNPs
• Molina Healthcare of Nebraska — 1 D-SNP
• UnitedHealthcare — 3 D-SNPs

Four of those D-SNPs are new to the county for 2027: DEVOTED DUAL CHOICE 004 NE (PPO D-SNP), DEVOTED DUAL CHOICE FULL 008 NE (PPO D-SNP), Molina Medicare Complete Care (HMO D-SNP), UHC Dual Complete NE-QV1 (HMO-POS D-SNP) and UHC Dual Complete NE-S4 (HMO-POS D-SNP). Centene's Wellcare Nebraska Total Care Dual Liberty Sync (HMO-POS D-SNP) is the renamed version of a plan that was offered under a different name in 2026 — the plan's Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) has the specifics.

Alongside the D-SNPs, Lancaster County also has 3 Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs) and 2 Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs) for 2027.

How often can a dual-eligible person in Lincoln change plans?

Most people on Medicare can only change plans during the fall Annual Enrollment Period (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7) or the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (Jan. 1 – March 31). People with Medicaid or Extra Help have more chances.

In general, dual-eligible beneficiaries get a monthly opportunity to either join an integrated D-SNP or move back to Original Medicare paired with a stand-alone Part D drug plan. The exact rules have been tightened in recent years, so what you qualify for depends on your situation — whether your Medicaid is full or partial, which plan you are in now, and whether a new plan is "integrated" with your Medicaid benefits. Before you switch, confirm the current rules with 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

If you do nothing during the fall window, your current plan simply renews for 2027 if it is still being offered — with the changes described in its ANOC.

How do I confirm my Medicaid eligibility and compare D-SNPs in Lincoln?

Two agencies, two tasks. For your Medicaid status, contact Nebraska Medicaid through the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) — they are the only office that can confirm whether you have full Medicaid or a Medicare Savings Program, and at what level. For Medicare plan choices, use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE; both tools can show the D-SNPs you are eligible for based on your ZIP code and the Medicaid category you enter.

When you compare plans, look at the Summary of Benefits and the plan's provider and pharmacy directories, and make sure your doctors, specialists and prescriptions are covered. Keep in mind that D-SNP benefits can look different from one plan to the next, even when all the plans are built for the same group of people.

What else is new for Medicare in 2027?

A few program-wide numbers are already set 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). CMS has also set the Part D national base beneficiary premium at $41.33 for 2027 — that is a formula input, not what any specific plan charges.

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets and surcharges, had not been announced as of September 2026. CMS typically publishes them later in the fall, usually in November.

For context, Lancaster County's overall 2027 Medicare Advantage picture includes 18 plans not returning from 2026, 18 new plans and 4 renamed plans across all plan types.