If you live in Cape Girardeau or the Southeast Missouri area and have a Medicare Advantage plan, your hospital choice depends on your plan’s network. Cape Girardeau has two hospital systems, and they publish different lists. This page pulls together what each one has posted so you can check before December 7.
This only matters for Medicare Advantage plans. Original Medicare and standard Medicare Supplement plans do not use networks. With those, you can go to any hospital that takes Medicare.
The big picture at a glance
| Hospital system | Medicare Advantage plans listed as in network | What changed | 2027 status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Francis Healthcare System | UnitedHealthcare Medicare, Anthem Medicare Advantage, Aetna (listed as Aetna Gold Advantage and Aetna Coventry), Provider Partners Health Plans | No change announced | No 2027 notice posted. Ask your plan |
| Mercy Hospital Southeast (formerly Southeast Hospital, SoutheastHEALTH) | Mercy’s Missouri list includes Aetna, Anthem, Cigna, Devoted, Essence, Humana, UnitedHealthcare, Wellcare and others | Joined Mercy and was renamed in January 2024 | No change announced. Ask your plan for 2027 |
Networks can change during the year. Always confirm with your plan before you enroll.
Saint Francis Healthcare System
Saint Francis Medical Center’s insurance page says it is contracted with these Medicare Advantage plans:
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare plans
- Anthem Medicare Advantage
- Aetna, listed on the page as Aetna Gold Advantage and Aetna Coventry
- Provider Partners Health Plans
The page does not name any plans as out of network, and it does not have a 2027 notice. A plan that is not on the list is not always out of network, but you should not guess. Saint Francis says it keeps reviewing its contracts and asks patients to check with their insurer. If Saint Francis is your hospital and your plan is not named above, ask your plan before you enroll.
Mercy Hospital Southeast
If you still call it Southeast Hospital, you are not alone. SoutheastHEALTH joined Mercy in January 2024. Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau became Mercy Hospital Southeast, and Southeast Health Center of Stoddard became Mercy Hospital Stoddard. Your plan’s directory may list it under the Mercy name now, so search for both names.
Mercy’s Medicare page lists these in-network Medicare Advantage plans for Missouri: Aetna, American Health Advantage of Missouri, Anthem, Cigna, Devoted Health, Essence, Humana, Medica, NHC Advantage, Provider Partners Health Plans, UnitedHealthcare and Wellcare by Allwell.
The page does not say which plan year the list covers, and it does not break the list out by hospital. We did not find any 2027 network change announced for Mercy Hospital Southeast. Check your plan’s 2027 directory to be sure.
If you travel to St. Louis for care
Many people in Southeast Missouri see specialists in St. Louis. Starting January 1, 2027, BJC HealthCare, which includes Barnes-Jewish Hospital, will be out of network for Aetna and Anthem Medicare Advantage plans. BJC says Medicare Supplement plans are not affected. If you have an Aetna or Anthem Medicare Advantage plan and see a doctor at BJC, look at your options now. See our St. Louis hospital networks guide for details.
How to check your own hospital
- Find your plan card and your Annual Notice of Change for 2027.
- Look up your hospital and each doctor in your plan’s 2027 provider directory, not the 2026 one. Search for Mercy Hospital Southeast and Southeast Hospital.
- If something is out of network, compare plans that keep your doctors before December 7.
We can check it for you
Cole Insure helps people in Cape Girardeau and across Missouri by phone and video. Our help is free. We check your doctors, your hospital and your medicines against the 2027 plans we offer, including Humana and Devoted Health. Call (816) 307-6165 or book a free review. The Annual Enrollment Period ends December 7, 2026, the last day to choose a plan for January 1.
You can also read how to check your doctors and hospitals or see our Kansas City hospital networks guide.
Live near Cape Girardeau? See our local Medicare help page for the hospitals, networks and sign-up rules that apply to you.
Sources
- Saint Francis Healthcare System: Insurance
- Mercy: Medicare coverage options
- Mercy: Forward together, SoutheastHEALTH joins Mercy (January 3, 2024)
- BJC HealthCare: Medicare (2027 Medicare Advantage plans)
- Medicare.gov: Joining a plan (enrollment periods)
