Olathe and the towns around it
Olathe is the county seat of Johnson County, Kansas. People here also use Gardner, Spring Hill, De Soto, Lenexa and Overland Park for shopping, doctors and family, and some drive into Kansas City, Kansas or Kansas City, Missouri for a specialist. A Medicare plan has to work in all the places you actually go.
Medicare Advantage and Part D drug plans are offered by county. Olathe, Gardner and Spring Hill are all in Johnson County, so the plan list is usually the same. We start with your ZIP code, your doctors and your medicines, then show you the plans we offer that fit.
What happened to Olathe Medical Center
For years, people in Olathe went to Olathe Medical Center on 151st Street. In January 2023, its parent, Olathe Health, joined The University of Kansas Health System. The health system then renamed the hospital Olathe Hospital as part of its 2025 rebranding. The hospital's page now lists it as Olathe Hospital, 20333 W 151st St, Olathe.
Why this matters for Medicare: when a hospital changes owners, the doctors' practices often change too, and the way they bill a plan can change. Medicare Supplement plans are not affected, because they work with any provider who takes Medicare. Medicare Advantage plans use networks, and a network can look different after a change like this. We do not state which plans include Olathe Hospital, because networks change every year and we would rather check your plan than guess. See how we check.
Other hospitals Olathe residents use
- The University of Kansas Hospital, Kansas City, Kansas. Same health system as Olathe Hospital now, often used for specialists and complex care.
- Overland Park Regional Medical Center (HCA Midwest Health), Overland Park, just up I-35.
- AdventHealth South Overland Park, on 165th Street, close to southern Olathe.
- AdventHealth Lenexa City Center, Lenexa, with a 24-hour emergency room.
A hospital's name changed. Your plan might not have. If you are not sure whether your doctors still fit your plan, send us their names. We will check them against the plans we offer. Call (816) 307-6165 or book a free review.
Prior authorization, in plain words
This is the worry we hear most from people in Olathe who are weighing Medicare Advantage: "What if I get sick and the plan says no?" Many Advantage plans use prior authorization. That means the plan has to approve certain care, like a scan, a surgery or a rehab stay, before it pays. Original Medicare with a Supplement rarely works that way. Neither choice is right for everyone. Advantage plans often cost less each month and include extras. Supplements cost more each month but have fewer rules. We walk through the trade-off with you, using your own doctors and health history, so you choose with your eyes open. See our Medicare costs page for this year's figures.
Signing up for Parts A and B
Social Security, not Medicare and not us, handles signing up for Parts A and B. Most people do it online at ssa.gov or by phone at 1-800-772-1213. If you want to go in person, the office that serves Johnson County is in Lenexa, a short drive north of Olathe:
Social Security Office, Lenexa
15375 W 95th St, Lenexa, KS 66219
Local number: 1-877-445-9978. Check hours and make an appointment through the ssa.gov office locator.
Address listed by the Kansas Department for Children and Families. Please confirm with the locator before you go.
Veterans in Olathe
If you served, the nearest VA primary care is the Lenexa VA Clinic at 15512 W 113th St, Lenexa, which offers primary care, lab, pharmacy, audiology, optometry, mental health and more. For hospital care, veterans in Olathe use the Kansas City VA Medical Center at 4801 Linwood Blvd in Kansas City, Missouri, or the Dwight D. Eisenhower VA Medical Center in Leavenworth, Kansas. VA care and Medicare can work side by side. Medicare can cover you at Olathe Hospital or a local urgent care, where VA care alone may not. We explain the pieces, including TRICARE For Life and CHAMPVA for spouses, on our veterans page.
Kansas rules and free help
Medicare is federal, but Kansas sets some of its own rules for Medicare Supplement plans. Kansas does not have the yearly anniversary switching rule Missouri has, so in Kansas your first Supplement choice carries more weight. See how Missouri and Kansas compare.
For free counseling that does not sell anything, call SHICK at 800-860-5260. SHICK is the Kansas Medicare counseling program (Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas, run by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services). The Johnson County Area Agency on Aging schedules local SHICK appointments at 913-715-8856.
How we work with people in Olathe
Cole Insure is a local, independent agency. We are based in Kansas City and we are not tied to one insurance company. We do not have an Olathe office. People in Olathe reach us by phone and video for now, and once our office reopens in January 2027, you can also meet us in person by appointment. Our help is free, there is no pressure, and a plan costs the same through us as going direct. We are here every month of the year, so when a plan letter arrives or a doctor leaves a network, call us first.
Call us first
Tell us a little about you and we will call you back during business hours.
Questions people ask us
Is there a Medicare office in Olathe?
No. Medicare does not have local offices, and we are not a government office. Social Security handles Part A and B sign-up. The closest Social Security office is in Lenexa at 15375 W 95th St. You can also apply online at ssa.gov or call 1-800-772-1213. For help choosing a plan, call us or SHICK.
Olathe Medical Center changed its name. Does that change my Medicare plan?
The hospital is now called Olathe Hospital and is part of The University of Kansas Health System. A name change by itself does not change your plan. But if you have a Medicare Advantage plan, it is worth confirming the hospital and your doctors are still in the network each year. We can check for you.
Do you have an office in Olathe?
No. There is no Olathe office. For now we help Olathe families over the phone and by video. When our Kansas City office reopens in January 2027, in-person appointments will be available again.
I live in Gardner. Are my plan choices the same as in Olathe?
Gardner and Olathe are both in Johnson County, so the Medicare Advantage and drug plans offered are usually the same. Networks can still differ by plan, so we check your doctors either way.
Are Medicare Supplement rules different in Kansas?
Yes, in some ways. Kansas sets its own rules for Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policies and does not have the yearly switching rule Missouri has. Our Missouri vs Kansas page explains the differences.
Does it cost anything to work with you?
Nothing at all. We are paid by the insurance companies, not by you, and a plan's premium is the same no matter how you enroll.