If you live in or near Topeka and have a Medicare Advantage plan, the plan’s network decides how much you pay at the hospital. Topeka has two main hospital systems, and they do not take the same plans. This page pulls together what each hospital has published 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 | Plans listed as out of network | 2027 status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stormont Vail Health | Aetna Medicare Advantage for Kansas residents, Humana Medicare plans, Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare Advantage, UnitedHealthcare group Medicare Advantage PPO and fee for service plans, HealthSpring fee for service plans | UnitedHealthcare AARP Medicare Advantage, UnitedHealthcare individual PPO and HMO plans, UnitedHealthcare Dual Complete, Humana Kansas City Community HMO, HealthSpring HMO and PPO, Allwell, Healthy Blue Full Dual | List last updated June 2026. No 2027 list posted. Ask your plan |
| The University of Kansas Health System St. Francis Campus | Ask your plan | Ask your plan | Stayed in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas network for 2026. Ownership moving fully to The University of Kansas Health System by the end of 2026 |
Networks can change during the year. Always confirm with your plan before you enroll.
Stormont Vail Health
Stormont Vail is Topeka’s largest hospital system. Its insurance page splits Medicare Advantage plans into in network and out of network, and the split often comes down to the type of plan, not just the company name.
Plans Stormont Vail lists as in network include:
- Aetna Medicare Advantage plans for Kansas residents, including PPO and HMO plans
- Humana Medicare plans
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare Advantage plans
- UnitedHealthcare group Medicare Advantage PPO plans, the kind some people get through a former employer, and UnitedHealthcare fee for service plans
- HealthSpring (Cigna) Medicare Advantage fee for service plans
Plans Stormont Vail lists as out of network include:
- UnitedHealthcare AARP Medicare Advantage plans and UnitedHealthcare individual PPO and HMO plans
- UnitedHealthcare Dual Complete
- Humana Medicare Kansas City Community HMO
- HealthSpring Medicare HMO and PPO plans
- Allwell Medicare Advantage and Healthy Blue Full Dual
Notice that the same company can be on both lists. A Humana plan may be in network while one Humana HMO is not. A UnitedHealthcare plan from a former employer may be in network while an AARP plan you bought on your own is not. Read the exact plan name on your card.
Stormont Vail says the list is updated from time to time and asks you to confirm your insurance when you make an appointment. We did not see a 2027 list on the page yet.
The University of Kansas Health System St. Francis Campus
The St. Francis Campus is run as a joint venture between The University of Kansas Health System and Ardent Health. The health system’s insurance page says the campus has its own insurance list that may be different from the Kansas City list, so do not assume a plan that works at the KU Medical Center campus also works at St. Francis.
Two pieces of recent news:
- In December 2025, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas and St. Francis reached a deal. Blue Cross said St. Francis would stay in its network for 2026. The news reports did not say how Medicare Advantage plans were handled.
- On September 29, 2026, the two owners announced that The University of Kansas Health System will take full ownership of the campus, with the change expected by the end of 2026. The announcement said patients will keep their providers, but it did not mention insurance contracts.
We could not confirm St. Francis Campus Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. If St. Francis is your hospital, ask your plan before you pick one.
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.
Thinking about leaving Medicare Advantage for a Medicare Supplement so network lists stop mattering? Kansas has no birthday rule, so you may have to answer health questions outside your guaranteed windows. See our page on Kansas Medigap rules before you switch.
We can check it for you
Cole Insure helps people in Topeka and across 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. 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.
For more, see our Topeka Medicare page, how to check your doctors and hospitals, and our Kansas City hospital networks guide.
Live near Topeka? See our local Medicare help page for the hospitals, networks and sign-up rules that apply to you.
Sources
- Stormont Vail Health: Insurance information (updated June 2026)
- The University of Kansas Health System: Insurance coverage
- Hutch Post / Kansas Reflector: Kansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, St. Francis health system reach agreement (December 30, 2025)
- The University of Kansas Health System and Ardent Health: Plans to transition ownership of St. Francis Campus (September 29, 2026)
- Medicare.gov: Joining a plan (enrollment periods)
