In short
- Medicare.gov's Plan Finder lists every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan in your ZIP code and prices your exact drugs.
- Nebraska SHIP (1-800-234-7119) offers unbiased counseling and does not sell or endorse any company, product or agent.
- Agents and call centers are paid by insurance companies, and must tell you they do not offer every plan if that is the case.
- For 2027, Lancaster County has 41 Medicare Advantage plans and 9 standalone drug plans, per CMS, which is why many people want help sorting them.
Local licensed agent vs Medicare.gov on your own at a glance
| Feature | Local licensed agent | Medicare.gov on your own |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to you | Nothing; insurance companies pay the agent | Nothing |
| Plans you see | Plans from the companies the agent represents, which the agent must disclose | Every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan in your ZIP code, plus Medigap price ranges |
| Drug price check | Runs your medications and pharmacy through each plan the agent offers | Prices your exact drugs at your pharmacy for every plan |
| Doctor and hospital check | Checks networks with plans and provider offices | Add your providers in Plan Finder to see network status |
| Explaining benefits | Walks through hospital, outpatient, imaging and extra benefits with you | Plan summaries and Evidence of Coverage documents you read yourself |
| Enrollment | Can enroll you in plans they represent | Enroll online, or by phone with 1-800-MEDICARE |
| Medigap applications | Can quote and help you apply with companies they work with | Shows companies and price estimates; you apply with the company |
| Yearly review | Depends on the agent; ask whether they review every fall | You read your Annual Notice of Change and recheck yourself |
| In person | Possible with a local agent | No; online, or by phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week |
| Other insurance | Often licensed for life insurance and other coverage too | Medicare only |
The short answer
Medicare.gov and Nebraska SHIP are excellent, unbiased ways to see every option, and many people do fine with them alone. A local licensed agent adds hands-on explanation, enrollment and a yearly review; whoever you use, ask which plans they can and cannot show you.
You have more places to get Medicare help than ever: a federal website, a state counseling program, national call centers and local agents. They are not rivals so much as different tools. Here is what each one does well, where each one stops, and how to use them together.
How do Medicare.gov, Nebraska SHIP, call centers and local agents compare?
Each one costs you nothing. The differences are who runs it, which plans it covers and how much hands-on help you get.
| Medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE | Nebraska SHIP | Call center agent | Local independent agent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Run by | The federal government | Nebraska Department of Insurance | A licensed agency, usually reached by phone | A licensed agent in your area |
| Cost to you | Nothing | Nothing | Nothing | Nothing |
| Plans covered | Every plan in your ZIP code | Every option, unbiased | Plans the agency represents | Plans the agent represents |
| Sells insurance | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Can enroll you | Yes | Can help you use Medicare.gov | Yes | Yes |
| Meets in person | No | By appointment at local sites | No | Usually |
Agents and call centers are paid by insurance companies, not by you. Our page on how Medicare agents get paid explains how that works.
What does Medicare.gov do well?
Medicare.gov is the most complete place to see your options. Its Plan Finder lists every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan in your ZIP code, prices your exact medications at your pharmacy, and shows whether the providers you add are in network. Plans for 2027 have been live since October 1, 2026, and the 2027 Star Ratings post on or around October 8, 2026.
You can also enroll there, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (TTY 1-877-486-2048). For 2027, CMS counts 48 Medicare Advantage plans and 9 standalone drug plans in Nebraska, and Plan Finder shows the ones in your county. Plan availability, premiums, networks and benefits vary by county and change every year, which is why it pays to recheck each fall.
What does Nebraska SHIP do well?
Nebraska SHIP, formerly SHIIP, gives confidential, unbiased one-on-one counseling from certified counselors, and it sells nothing. The Department of Insurance says SHIP "does not sell insurance, nor does it endorse any insurance company, product, or agent." Medicare's own 2027 handbook points people to their SHIP for help comparing plan costs.
In Lincoln, SHIP's office is at 1526 K Street, and Aging Partners' financial counselors are certified SHIP counselors who help people 60 and older with Medicare, supplements, Medicare Advantage, Part D and low-income programs (402-441-7070). SHIP also runs the Senior Medicare Patrol, which helps with suspected fraud. Learn more on our Nebraska SHIP page.
What does a local agent add?
A licensed agent can go plan by plan with you, answer "what would this cost me?" for your situation, and complete the enrollment. A good one also follows up.
What that looks like in practice:
- Benefit explanations in plain English. Hospital copays per day, outpatient surgery, imaging, ambulance and the extras, read against your health and budget.
- Medigap help. Quotes from several companies, and help with health questions if you are outside your open enrollment window.
- Local knowledge. Which health systems you use, such as Bryan Health, CHI Health or Nebraska Medicine, and checking each one against each plan's network, never assuming.
- A yearly review. Plans change every January. A good agent checks your medications and doctors each fall.
- Other pieces of the puzzle. Many agents are also licensed for life insurance and other coverage.
What an agent cannot do: show plans from companies they don't represent, or choose your plan for you. They must tell you if they don't offer every plan in your area, and before a sales appointment they must agree with you, in writing for in-person meetings, on which products you will discuss.
What about the number on a TV ad?
Those calls usually reach licensed agents at a national agency, and they can enroll you. The same rules apply to them as to any agent. Under rules in effect for 2027 marketing since October 1, 2026, they must tell you, before discussing benefits, whether they offer every plan in your area. Sales calls must be recorded and kept for at least 6 years.
Your information is protected too. Since October 1, 2024, an agency cannot pass your information to another agency unless you give written consent that names each one. If you fill out an online form, read what you are agreeing to. And never give your Medicare number to an unexpected caller; our page on Medicare scams explains the red flags.
What should you ask any agent before you start?
Ask these, and expect straight answers:
- Are you licensed in Nebraska? (Check with the Department of Insurance's producer search.)
- How many companies do you represent here, and which ones can't you offer?
- How are you paid, and does it change what I pay? (It shouldn't.)
- Will you check my doctors and medications for every plan you show me?
- Will you review my plan every fall?
- Can we meet in person, by phone or by video?
Our Medicare review checklist lists what to bring to any of these conversations.
What mistakes do people make getting Medicare help?
The biggest is relying on one source without checking it. Use Medicare.gov or SHIP to see the full picture, even if an agent helps you enroll.
Other mistakes:
- Choosing the first plan a website or mailer shows you
- Assuming an agent can see every plan
- Never rereading the Annual Notice of Change each fall
- Signing anything with someone who won't give a name and license number
If you would like to see what working with a local agent looks like, read about me or talk to me. My help costs you nothing, and you are welcome to check everything with Medicare.gov or SHIP.
Frequently asked questions
It is the most complete source available. Plan Finder shows every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan in your ZIP code, prices your exact drugs at your chosen pharmacy, lets you add your providers to check networks, and shows Star Ratings. Plans for 2027 have been on it since October 1, 2026. The main limit is that you still have to read each plan's details and decide what matters to you.
Nebraska SHIP, formerly called SHIIP, is the state's Medicare counseling program, part of the Nebraska Department of Insurance. Certified counselors give confidential, unbiased one-on-one help at no cost. SHIP does not sell insurance or endorse any company, product or agent. Call 1-800-234-7119, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central. In Lincoln, Aging Partners' certified counselors also help people 60 and older.
Insurance companies pay agents when they help someone enroll in a plan, and Medicare sets limits on that pay for Medicare Advantage and Part D. You do not pay the agent, and you should never be charged a fee for help enrolling in a Medicare plan. Your premium is the same whether you enroll through an agent, a call center, the company or Medicare.gov.
Often not. Most agents represent some, but not all, of the companies in an area. Federal rules require them to say so, with a statement like: We do not offer every plan available in your area. They must also tell you that you can contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE for information on all of your options. Ask any agent which companies they cannot offer.
Use the Nebraska Department of Insurance's agent and company search, which looks up licensed insurance producers in the state. The National Insurance Producer Registry also offers a lookup by name. The Department of Insurance posts disciplinary actions against agents and takes complaints at 877-564-7323 for in-state callers. A legitimate agent will happily give you their name and license number.
Those numbers usually reach licensed agents who can enroll you, and many are helpful. Before discussing benefits, they must say whether they offer every plan in your area, and sales calls must be recorded. Since October 2024, your information cannot be shared with another agency unless you give written consent naming each one. Never give your Medicare number to someone who calls you out of the blue.
Sources
- Medicare.gov: Medicare & You 2027 (CMS Product No. 10050) (opens in a new tab)
- Nebraska Department of Insurance: SHIP and SMP (opens in a new tab)
- City of Lincoln: Aging Partners benefits counseling (opens in a new tab)
- eCFR: 42 CFR 422.2267, required TPMO disclaimer (opens in a new tab)
- eCFR: 42 CFR 422.2274, call recording and data-sharing consent (opens in a new tab)
- Nebraska Department of Insurance: Company and producer search (opens in a new tab)
- CMS: Medicare Open Enrollment in Nebraska, 2027 state fact sheets (opens in a new tab)
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options. 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.
