If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, your hospital matters as much as your premium. Each plan has its own network, and in Joplin most people want to know if their plan works at Freeman, at Mercy, or both. This page pulls together what the two hospital systems have published themselves, 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 or doctor that takes Medicare, in Joplin or anywhere else in the country.
Joplin hospitals at a glance
| Hospital system | What the hospital lists | Recent change | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freeman Health System (Freeman Hospital West, Freeman Hospital East, Freeman Neosho Hospital and clinics) | Freeman does not post a list of Medicare Advantage plans. It says it bills Medicare and most commercial payers | New multi-year deal with Anthem, starting January 1, 2026, covering all Anthem members in the region | Ask your plan, or call Freeman Patient Accounts |
| Mercy Hospital Joplin and Mercy clinics | For Missouri: Aetna, American Health Advantage of MO, Anthem, Cigna, Devoted Health, Essence, Humana, Medica, NHC Advantage, Provider Partners Health Plans, UnitedHealthcare and Wellcare-Allwell | No change announced that we could find | Mercy’s list is by state, not by hospital. Ask your plan to confirm Joplin |
Networks can change during the year. Always confirm with your plan before you enroll.
Freeman Health System
Freeman is based in Joplin and runs Freeman Hospital West, Freeman Hospital East and Freeman Neosho Hospital, plus urgent care and dozens of clinics.
Freeman does not publish a list of the Medicare Advantage plans it takes. Its billing page says Freeman bills “most commercial payers, Medicare, and Missouri Medicaid.” That covers Original Medicare. For a Medicare Advantage plan, the answer depends on your plan, so look up Freeman in your plan’s 2027 provider directory. Freeman’s billing page says you can reach Freeman Patient Accounts at 417-347-6686 or 888-707-4500.
One deal we could confirm: in September 2025, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Freeman announced a new multi-year agreement that started January 1, 2026. Anthem said it covers all Anthem members in the region. Anthem did not list each plan type, so if you have an Anthem Medicare Advantage plan, ask Anthem to confirm Freeman for 2027.
We did not find any public news of a 2026 Medicare Advantage contract dispute at Freeman. No news is not a promise.
Mercy Hospital Joplin
Mercy Hospital Joplin and its clinics are part of Mercy, which serves Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas. Mercy’s Medicare page lists the Medicare Advantage plans it works with by state. For Missouri, the list is:
- Aetna
- American Health Advantage of MO
- Anthem
- Cigna
- Devoted Health
- Essence
- Humana
- Medica
- NHC Advantage
- Provider Partners Health Plans
- UnitedHealthcare
- Wellcare-Allwell
Mercy’s list covers the whole state, not each hospital. Some plans only work in certain counties, so a plan on this list may not include Mercy Joplin where you live. Look up Mercy Hospital Joplin and your Mercy doctors in your plan’s 2027 provider directory to be sure. Mercy does not offer its own Medicare Advantage plan that we could find.
Living in Kansas or Oklahoma and using Joplin hospitals
Joplin sits where Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas meet. Your Medicare Advantage choices depend on the county you live in, not where your hospital is. Mercy lists different plans in each state:
- Kansas: Kansas Health Advantage
- Oklahoma: Aetna, American Health Advantage of OK, BCBS-OK, Cigna, Community Care, Devoted Health, Global Health, Humana, Tribute Health Plans, UnitedHealthcare and Wellcare-Allwell
- Arkansas: Aetna, BCBS-AR, Cigna, Essence, Humana, UnitedHealthcare and Wellcare-Allwell
These are Mercy’s state lists, not a promise that a plan sold in your county includes Mercy Joplin. If you live across the state line and drive into Joplin for care, check that your plan’s 2027 directory lists your Joplin hospital and doctors.
Cole Insure helps people in Missouri and Kansas. If you live on the Kansas side, the Kansas Medigap rules are different from Missouri’s.
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.
- If something is out of network, compare plans that keep your doctors before December 7.
If you are thinking about leaving Medicare Advantage for a Medicare Supplement instead, read about the Missouri Medigap anniversary rule first. It explains when you can switch Supplement companies without health questions in Missouri.
Free help in the Joplin area
Cole Insure is based in Kansas City and helps people across Missouri, including Joplin and nearby southeast Kansas, 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. Learn more about keeping your doctors and hospitals, see our Missouri Medicare guide, or read about Springfield hospital networks for 2027 and Kansas City hospital networks for 2027.
Call (816) 307-6165 or book a free review. The deadline for January 1 coverage is December 7, 2026.
Live near Joplin? See our local Medicare help page for the hospitals, networks and sign-up rules that apply to you.
Sources
- Freeman Health System: Billing and insurance
- Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Freeman Health System agree to new multi-year partnership (September 10, 2025)
- Mercy: Medicare coverage options
- Medicare.gov: Joining a plan (enrollment periods)
