Medicare Help in Seward, NE

Seward is about 29 miles and 40 minutes west of Bill Jurey's office in Lincoln. You can drive in and sit down at the office, or meet by phone or video, which can be easier in the fall when there is a lot to get through. Either way, the insurance companies pay him, not you.

Seward County is older than Lancaster County. It had 3,742 residents age 65 and older on July 1, 2025, which is 20.8% of the county and up 14.6% since 2020 (Census Bureau). In the city of Seward, population 7,892, about 17.2% of residents are 65 or older (American Community Survey, 2020 to 2024).

How does Bill work with people in Seward?

Mostly by phone and video, with office meetings in Lincoln when that suits you. A Seward review covers the same ground as one at the office: your medications first, then your doctors and hospitals, then what a hospital stay or ER visit would cost, then your budget.

If you already drive to Lincoln for a specialist, pairing that trip with a stop at the office saves you a second drive. If you would rather stay home, a video call works with your pill bottles on the table and a pen in hand.

Bill puts the decision where it belongs: "I want you to understand. I don't expect you to remember it. You walk out that door, forget everything I just told you, I don't care. But when you're sitting here at the table and we make that decision... I want you making that informed decision."

Which hospital and clinics do Seward residents use?

Memorial Health Care Systems is Seward's hospital. Memorial Hospital at 300 N Columbia Ave is a critical access hospital, a federal designation for small rural hospitals, and its website does not list a parent health system. Memorial runs a network of local care:

• Seward Family Medical Center
• A specialty clinic in Seward
• Family medical centers in Milford and Utica

Memorial's site also lists Bryan Urgent Care Seward among its locations. Because it carries the Bryan name, check it on its own rather than assuming it matches Memorial's network status.

For anything Memorial does not handle, most people head to Lincoln, where Bryan Health and CHI Health run the big hospitals. The Lincoln location page covers those.

What does that mean for a Medicare Advantage network?

It means three checks, not one. A plan can include Memorial and not the Lincoln specialist you see, or the reverse.

1. Look up Memorial Hospital and your Memorial clinic doctor by name in the plan's 2027 directory.
2. Look up Bryan Urgent Care Seward separately.
3. Look up each Lincoln specialist and the Lincoln hospital they use.

HMOs generally require in-network care, with exceptions for emergencies and out-of-area urgent care. PPOs pay for out-of-network care at a higher cost. Original Medicare with Medigap carries no network restrictions at all, which is why some people with specialists in several places choose it. Every county has its own mix of plans, premiums, networks and benefits, and the mix changes each year.

What changes for Seward County plans in 2027?

A new option and a missing one. CMS plan data shows Devoted Health expanding into Seward County for 2027. UnitedHealthcare's AARP Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage will be sold in only five Nebraska counties next year (Cass, Douglas, Lancaster, Sarpy and Washington), so they are not an option in Seward County.

If your plan is changing or ending, the Annual Notice of Change letter or a non-renewal notice should already be in your mail. Bring it to your review. The annual enrollment review explains what to look for line by line.

For drug coverage, add your pharmacy to every comparison. Seward Family Pharmacy is at 250 N Columbia Ave, and a plan's preferred pharmacies can have lower copays than its standard ones. The Part D guide covers formularies and the 2027 out-of-pocket cap.

Where can Seward residents get local Medicare help?

Right in town, which is not true of every county seat. Seward County Aging Services, in the West Wing at 320 S 14th St (402-646-7110), has staff who are certified Nebraska SHIP counselors. They give unbiased Medicare help at no cost and do not sell insurance.

• Lied Senior Center, 1010 Manor Drive West (402-643-4466): open weekdays, with a noon meal and a senior shuttle for people 60 and up.
• Milford Senior Center, 105 B Street (402-761-3367), and Utica Senior Center, 520 D Street (402-534-3435).
• Aging Partners in Lincoln, which covers Seward County: 402-441-7070.
• Nebraska SHIP, formerly SHIIP, by phone from anywhere in the state: 1-800-234-7119. 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY 1-877-486-2048) is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

See Nebraska SHIP, Aging Partners and licensed agents for how each fits. Seward is home to Concordia University Nebraska, dedicated in 1894, and Governor Exon named it Nebraska's 4th of July City in 1973, honoring a celebration that dates to 1868. If you are retiring from the university or another local employer, ask how any retiree coverage works with Medicare before you change it. If you would like a hand comparing, talk to Bill.