If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, your hospital matters as much as your premium. Each plan has its own network, and Kansas City hospitals have changed several of those deals for 2027. This page pulls together what the hospitals themselves have announced, on both sides of the state line, 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 changes at a glance
| Hospital system | What changed | When | Plans still listed as in network |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Luke’s (BJC Health) | Out of network for Aetna Medicare Advantage | January 1, 2027 | Devoted Health, Humana and UnitedHealthcare, per Saint Luke’s 2027 list |
| NKC Health (North Kansas City Hospital, Meritas Health) | Out of network for UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage, including AARP plans | October 1, 2026 | Humana Medicare Advantage |
| NKC Health | Stopped taking Cigna Medicare Advantage | January 1, 2026 | Humana Medicare Advantage |
| HCA Midwest Health (Research, Menorah, Overland Park Regional and more) | Reached a deal to stay in network for Aetna Medicare Advantage | August 2024 | Ask your plan for 2027 |
| The University of Kansas Health System, including Olathe Hospital | No change announced | None announced | Ask your plan |
| University Health, AdventHealth, Liberty Hospital | No change announced that we could find | None announced | Ask your plan |
Networks can change during the year. Always confirm with your plan before you enroll.
Saint Luke’s
Saint Luke’s is part of BJC Health. Starting January 1, 2027, Saint Luke’s doctors, clinics and hospitals will be out of network for Aetna Medicare Advantage plans. That covers Saint Luke’s Hospital on the Plaza, Saint Luke’s East in Lee’s Summit, Saint Luke’s North in the Northland and Saint Luke’s South in Overland Park.
Saint Luke’s says it will stay in network for 2027 with Devoted Health, Humana and UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans, plus a few smaller local plans. Aetna Medicare Supplement plans are not affected. Read the full story in Saint Luke’s leaving Aetna.
NKC Health
NKC Health runs North Kansas City Hospital and the Meritas Health clinics across the Northland. It made two changes:
- Cigna Medicare Advantage plans were no longer accepted starting January 1, 2026.
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans, including AARP plans, went out of network on October 1, 2026.
NKC Health lists Humana Medicare Advantage as accepted. See NKC Health and Medicare Advantage for details.
HCA Midwest Health
HCA Midwest is the largest hospital group in the metro, with Research Medical Center, Menorah, Overland Park Regional, Centerpoint, Lee’s Summit Medical Center, Belton Regional and more. In August 2024, HCA Midwest and Aetna reached a deal that kept Aetna Medicare Advantage members in network.
In May 2026, HCA Midwest hospitals went out of network for Cigna commercial plans, the kind people get through a job. News reports said Medicare Advantage plans were not part of that dispute. If you have a Cigna card through an employer, call us and we will help you sort out which kind of plan you have.
The University of Kansas Health System and Olathe Hospital
The health system’s own Medicare page says it takes Original Medicare and tells Medicare Advantage members to contact their plan to confirm. We have not seen any 2027 network change announced. Olathe Hospital, formerly Olathe Medical Center, is now part of the same system.
University Health, AdventHealth and Liberty Hospital
We did not find any public 2027 Medicare Advantage network announcement from University Health, AdventHealth’s Kansas City hospitals or Liberty Hospital. No news is not a promise. Check your plan’s 2027 provider directory, or let us look it up for you.
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 would rather not spend an afternoon on hold, call us. We check your doctors, your hospital and your medicines against the 2027 plans we offer, on the Missouri side or the Kansas side. Our help is free. Call (816) 307-6165 or book a free review. The deadline for January 1 coverage is December 7, 2026. Also see what Humana’s 2027 changes mean for Kansas City.
Live near Kansas City? See our local Medicare help page for the hospitals, networks and sign-up rules that apply to you.
Sources
- Saint Luke's: Accepted Medicare Advantage plans for 2027
- KCTV5: BJC HealthCare, Saint Luke's to leave Aetna Medicare Advantage (October 21, 2026)
- NKC Health: Medicare Advantage updates
- NKC Health: UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage coverage update (updated 08/2026)
- HCA Midwest Health: Will remain in network for Aetna Medicare Advantage members (August 16, 2024)
- Live Insurance News: HCA Midwest out of network for Cigna commercial plans (May 2026)
- The University of Kansas Health System: Medicare and Medicaid
- Medicare.gov: Joining a plan (enrollment periods)
