Medicare Advantage

Omaha's 2027 Medicare Advantage debut: 11 new plans and how to check one against your doctors

For 2027, Omaha is looking at 39 Medicare Advantage plans: 11 new, 17 gone since 2026, and 12 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 5 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Douglas County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

OMAHA — This fall, people on Medicare in the Omaha area are opening Annual Notice of Change letters and sizing up what the 2027 plan year will look like. In Douglas County, which Omaha sits inside, 11 Medicare Advantage plans are brand new for 2027 — meaning they were not sold here in 2026. Six carriers are putting them on the shelf, and because they are new, none of them has a Star Rating history yet. That is not a knock on them; it is just a fact to factor into how you shop before the December 7, 2026 deadline.

What "new for 2027" actually means

A "new" plan is one a carrier is offering in Douglas County for the first time in 2027. It is a different contract from a plan that is simply being renamed or renewed. Because the plan did not exist locally in 2026, it has no CMS Star Rating of its own yet — ratings are built from past performance data. It also has no local reputation to lean on, so the smart move is to check it directly against your own doctors, hospitals and medications rather than assume it works like a similar-sounding plan from the same carrier.

By contrast, a renewing plan comes with an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) that spells out exactly what is different for 2027 — premium, cost-sharing, drug list, extra benefits. If you do nothing, a renewing plan rolls over on January 1. A new plan requires an active choice to enroll.

The 11 new plans in Douglas County, by carrier

The table on this page lists every plan available in the county, including the new ones. Below is the alphabetical list of the 11 that are new for 2027:

• Aetna (CVS Health) — 2 new plans: Aetna Medicare Enhanced Extra (PPO), with drug coverage; Aetna Medicare Signature (PPO), with drug coverage.
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska — 2 new plans: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska MA Assure (HMO-POS), with drug coverage; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska MA Protect (PPO), with drug coverage.
• Devoted Health — 2 new plans: DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE GIVEBACK EXTRAS 010 NE (PPO C-SNP), with drug coverage; DEVOTED CHOICE GIVEBACK EXTRAS 011 NE (PPO), with drug coverage.
• Great Plains Medicare Advantage — 2 new plans: Great Plains Medicare Advantage (HMO I-SNP), with drug coverage; Great Plains Medicare Advantage Gold (HMO I-SNP), with drug coverage.
• Molina Healthcare of Nebraska — 1 new plan: Molina Medicare Complete Care (HMO D-SNP), with drug coverage.
• UnitedHealthcare — 2 new plans: AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx NE-MA2 (HMO-POS), with drug coverage; UHC Dual Complete NE-QV1 (HMO-POS D-SNP), with drug coverage.

Every one of the 11 new plans includes Part D drug coverage.

Special Needs Plans among the new entries

A Special Needs Plan (SNP) is a Medicare Advantage plan restricted to people who meet a specific condition. The new 2027 list in Douglas County includes all three SNP flavors:

• D-SNP (Dual-eligible) — for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. The new ones are Molina Medicare Complete Care (HMO D-SNP) and UHC Dual Complete NE-QV1 (HMO-POS D-SNP).
• C-SNP (Chronic condition) — for people with a qualifying chronic illness. The new one is DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE GIVEBACK EXTRAS 010 NE (PPO C-SNP).
• I-SNP (Institutional) — for people who live in, or need the level of care provided by, a long-term care facility. Both Great Plains Medicare Advantage (HMO I-SNP) plans are new.

You cannot enroll in an SNP unless you meet its eligibility rule, and the plan can disenroll you if you no longer qualify.

How to vet a new plan before December 7

With no track record to lean on, use the plan's own documents and tools:

1. Check your doctors and hospitals. Pull up the plan's provider directory on the carrier's website, or call the plan directly. For an HMO or HMO-POS, in-network status matters more than it does on a PPO. Confirm your primary care doctor, any specialists you see and the hospital you prefer. 2. Check every prescription. Enter your drug list into the plan's formulary tool. Look at the tier each drug lands on, any prior-authorization or step-therapy requirements, and which pharmacies the plan prefers. 3. Read the Summary of Benefits and the Evidence of Coverage. These describe cost-sharing, extra benefits and rules in CMS-approved language. 4. Compare on Medicare Plan Finder. At medicare.gov, enter your ZIP code and your drug list to see every plan side by side, including the new ones. 5. Call 1-800-MEDICARE if you want to walk through options with a Medicare representative directly.

2027 program figures worth knowing

A few numbers CMS has already confirmed for the 2027 plan year:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027, up from $2,100 in 2026.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $700 in 2027, up from $615 in 2026.
• The Part D national base beneficiary premium is $41.33 for 2027 — that is a formula input CMS uses, not what any particular plan charges.

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, have not been announced yet. CMS normally publishes those in the fall, usually in November.