In short
- The office at 285 S 68th St Place, Suite 207, is about half a mile by car from CHI Health St. Elizabeth and the Lincoln VA Clinic.
- Lincoln has two large hospital systems, Bryan Health and CHI Health. Check each hospital and doctor by name in any Medicare Advantage network, every year.
- Bryan Heart and CHI Health Nebraska Heart are different organizations, so confirm which one your cardiologist works for.
- Aging Partners at Victory Park and the Nebraska SHIP office on K Street give unbiased Medicare counseling at no cost.
- The 2027 Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 to December 7, 2026, for coverage that starts January 1, 2027.
Lincoln is home base. Bill Jurey's office is at 285 S 68th St Place, Suite 207, in the Taylor Park area on the east side of town, and Lincoln is where he puts most of his effort. You can sit down with him at the office, talk by phone, or meet by video. His help costs you nothing, because the insurance carriers pay the agent.
He has said it plainly: "If I could build my entire book of business with people just in Lincoln, Nebraska... Lincoln and the surrounding communities." This page is about this city: its hospitals, its counseling offices and its retirees.
Lancaster County had about 56,200 residents age 65 and older on July 1, 2025, up 17.8% from 47,721 in 2020 (Census Bureau). In the city itself, about 14.8% of residents are 65 or older (American Community Survey, 2020 to 2024).
Where is the office, and what is near it?
The office is a few minutes from three places Lincoln retirees use all the time: CHI Health St. Elizabeth, the Lincoln VA Clinic and Victory Park.
| Place | What it is | Distance from the office |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln VA Clinic, 420 Victory Park Dr | VA outpatient clinic | About 0.5 mile by car |
| CHI Health St. Elizabeth, 555 S 70th St | Hospital | About 0.6 mile by car |
| Victory Park, 600 S 70th St | Aging Partners, senior center | About 0.8 mile by car |
| Lincoln Surgical Hospital, 1710 S 70th St | Surgical hospital | About 1.2 miles (straight line) |
| Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals, 5401 South St | Rehabilitation hospital | About 1.75 miles (straight line) |
| Bryan Medical Center East, 1600 S 48th St | Hospital | About 2.5 miles by car |
| Bryan Medical Center West, 2300 S 16th St | Hospital, Level II trauma center | About 5.3 miles by car |
| CHI Health Nebraska Heart, 7500 S 91st St | Heart hospital | About 7.3 miles by car |
Distances are approximate. Downtown and the State Capitol are about 4.5 miles away, roughly 11 minutes by car. Whether you live in Havelock, University Place, College View, Bethany, the Highlands, Southern Hills or Yankee Hill, getting to the office is a crosstown errand, not a road trip.
How does Bill work with people in Lincoln?
Lincoln clients can come to the office and sit down at the table, which is how Bill likes to work best. A first meeting usually runs half an hour to an hour, and couples take at least an hour. Bill still does home visits once or twice a week, and he meets by phone or video when that works better for you.
The order is the same every time. Medications come first, then your doctors and hospitals, then what happens to your costs if you land in the hospital or the emergency room, then your monthly and yearly budget. Bill lays out the options and the math. You make the decision.
Before you come in, gather your medication list (name, dose and how often), your doctors' names and any letters from your current plan. The Medicare review checklist has the full list.
Which Lincoln hospitals and doctors should you check in a plan network?
Check every hospital and doctor you use, by name, in the exact plan you are considering for 2027. Lincoln has two large hospital systems, Bryan Health and CHI Health, plus specialty hospitals such as Madonna and Lincoln Surgical Hospital.
- Bryan Health runs Bryan Medical Center East (374 beds) and West (290 beds, a Level II trauma center). It also owns hospitals in Crete, Grand Island, Kearney and Central City.
- CHI Health St. Elizabeth has Nebraska's only verified burn center, cancer care with radiation and infusion, and Primary Stroke Center certification.
- CHI Health Nebraska Heart is a specialty heart hospital, formerly Nebraska Heart Hospital.
- Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals treats people recovering from stroke, brain injury and spinal cord injury.
- Lincoln Surgical Hospital was founded in 1994 by eye surgeons. It is privately owned and not part of Bryan Health.
Bryan Heart and Nebraska Heart are not the same
Bryan Heart is Bryan Health's cardiology practice, not a separate hospital. CHI Health Nebraska Heart is a CHI Health hospital. If your cardiologist works for one, finding the other in a plan's directory tells you nothing about your doctor. Look up the doctor's name, not just the word "Heart."
The HMO vs PPO comparison explains the network rules in more detail.
What is changing for Lancaster County Medicare Advantage in 2027?
Fewer standard plans and a different set of companies. CMS data shows 26 standard Medicare Advantage plans in Lancaster County for 2027, down from 29 in 2026, plus 15 special needs plans. Medica is leaving Lancaster County, and Devoted Health is new to it. The 2027 carriers offering standard plans here are Aetna, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, Devoted, Humana, MyAdvocate, UnitedHealthcare and Wellcare.
Medica members need different coverage for 2027, and the company's notice should already be in your mailbox; it is the final word on your own plan. Going back to Original Medicare after a plan exit comes with a guaranteed issue right to buy certain Medigap policies, Plan G among them, without health questions. That right runs out 63 days after your Medica coverage ends, so do not sit on it.
About 35% of Lancaster County's 60,420 Medicare beneficiaries were in Medicare Advantage or a similar plan in June 2026, compared with 45% in Douglas County (CMS).
Medigap, Medicare Advantage or Part D: where should a Lincoln resident start?
Start with the page that matches where you are right now. Each of these is written for Lancaster County, not the country as a whole.
| If you are... | Start with |
|---|---|
| Turning 65 or coming off an employer plan | Turning 65 in Lincoln |
| Wanting any doctor that takes Medicare, including out of state | Medicare Supplement in Lincoln |
| Comfortable with a network in exchange for different costs and extras | Medicare Advantage in Lincoln |
| Worried about the cost of your medications | Part D in Lincoln |
If you are torn between the two main paths, read Medigap vs Medicare Advantage first. The choice you make at 65 is easier to get right than to undo later.
Who else gives unbiased Medicare help in Lincoln?
Lincoln has more no-cost Medicare counseling than most Nebraska towns, and you should know about all of it. These offices do not sell plans and do not recommend agents.
- Aging Partners, 600 S 70th St, at Victory Park. Its benefits counselors are certified SHIP counselors who help people 60 and older with Medicare, supplements, Medicare Advantage, Part D and low-income programs. Appointments are encouraged: 402-441-7070 or 800-247-0938. Aging Partners serves Lancaster County plus Butler, Fillmore, Polk, Saline, Saunders, Seward and York counties.
- Nebraska SHIP (formerly SHIIP), 1526 K Street, Suite 201, downtown, 402-471-2841. It is part of the Nebraska Department of Insurance. Callers anywhere in Nebraska can use 1-800-234-7119.
- 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY 1-877-486-2048), available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and the Plan Finder on Medicare.gov.
Victory Park is a 58-acre site on the old VA hospital grounds. Aging Partners moved there in May 2023 as part of a $100 million redevelopment, and the site has a foot and health clinic staffed by the UNMC College of Nursing.
Aging Partners also runs senior centers: Victory Park (weekdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.), Belmont (1234 Judson St), Northeast (6310 Platte Ave), Washington Street (2225 Washington St) and the Asian Senior Center (144 N 44th St), plus rural centers in Bennet, Firth and Hickman. Older directories still list a downtown center at 1005 O Street, but Aging Partners left downtown in 2023. See Medicare resources in Lincoln for a ranked list, and Nebraska SHIP, Aging Partners and licensed agents for who does what.
Retiring from the state, the schools or a Lincoln plant?
As the state capital, Lincoln has a lot of public retirees. The State of Nebraska, Lincoln Public Schools and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are among the biggest employers, and the Nebraska Public Employees Retirement Systems (NPERS) runs its State, County, School, Judges and Patrol plans from 1526 K Street.
If a former employer or union offers you retiree health coverage, find out exactly how it works with Medicare before you drop it or add a plan on top of it. If you drop it, you may not be able to get it back.
Lincoln also has deep manufacturing and railroad roots. Kawasaki has built vehicles here since 1974, and the BNSF shops in Havelock are the city's oldest industrial employer. Railroad retirees deal with the Railroad Retirement Board for Medicare, and Part B claims go through Railroad Medicare. If a layoff or early retirement leaves you short of 65, read health insurance before Medicare.
Veterans have the Lincoln VA Clinic at 420 Victory Park Drive, with primary care, mental health, lab and Express Care on weekdays. See Medicare for veterans for how VA care and Medicare fit together.
What should Lincoln residents do before December 7, 2026?
Use the next few weeks to check your 2027 coverage instead of letting it renew on autopilot. Plan details for 2027 became available around October 1, and enrollment opens October 15.
- Read the Annual Notice of Change letter your plan mailed in September. It lists what changes for 2027.
- Update your medication list, including anything new since last fall.
- Confirm your doctors and your hospital, whether that is Bryan, CHI Health or another, are in the 2027 network.
- Add up the full year: premium, deductibles, copays and the out-of-pocket maximum. The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027, from $2,100 in 2026.
- Make any change between October 15 and December 7, 2026. New coverage starts January 1, 2027.
The annual enrollment review page walks through each step. If you would rather do it across the table, talk to Bill and bring the letter with you.
Frequently asked questions
The office is at 285 S 68th St Place, Suite 207, Lincoln, NE 68510, in the Taylor Park area on the east side of town. It is less than a mile by car from CHI Health St. Elizabeth, the Lincoln VA Clinic and Victory Park, where Aging Partners is based. You can meet Bill there in person, or set up a phone or video meeting if that is easier.
No. Bill is an independent licensed agent, and the insurance carriers pay him when someone enrolls in a plan. You do not pay him for the meeting, the comparison or the yearly review. Medicare Advantage and Part D premiums are set by the plan, not by the agent who helps you enroll. If any agent asks you to pay for Medicare enrollment help, that is a red flag.
Check every hospital you might use. In Lincoln that usually means Bryan Medical Center East and West, CHI Health St. Elizabeth, CHI Health Nebraska Heart, Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals and Lincoln Surgical Hospital. Check your doctors too, by name, because a hospital being in network does not mean every doctor who works there is. Networks change every year, so check again for 2027 even if nothing changed last year.
Aging Partners at 600 S 70th St has benefits counselors who are certified SHIP counselors and help people 60 and older (402-441-7070). The Nebraska SHIP office is at 1526 K Street, Suite 201 (402-471-2841), and the statewide SHIP line is 1-800-234-7119. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) any time, day or night. These counselors do not sell plans or recommend agents.
Yes. Many veterans have both. VA benefits generally cover care you get at VA locations, or outside care the VA approves ahead of time. Medicare covers care from non-VA doctors and hospitals. The VA encourages veterans to sign up for Medicare when first eligible, because the Part B late penalty grows the longer you wait. VA drug coverage counts as creditable coverage for Part D.
The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 to December 7, 2026, and changes start January 1, 2027. If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31, 2027 allows one more change. You can apply for a Medigap policy at other times of year, but outside your first six-month window the insurer may be able to use medical underwriting.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau: Vintage 2025 county population by age, Nebraska (opens in a new tab)
- City of Lincoln: Aging Partners (opens in a new tab)
- City of Lincoln: Aging Partners moves to Victory Park (2023) (opens in a new tab)
- CHI Health St. Elizabeth (opens in a new tab)
- VA Nebraska-Western Iowa: Lincoln VA Clinic (opens in a new tab)
- Nebraska Department of Insurance: SHIP and SMP (opens in a new tab)
- Medicare.gov: Compare Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage (opens in a new tab)
- Nebraska Public Employees Retirement Systems: About us (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.
