Kansas medicaid income limits 2023 for seniors, Kansas medicaid income limits 2023 family of 4, Kansas medicaid income limits 2023 calculator, kansas medicaid eligibility for seniors, kansas medicaid income guidelines 2023, kancare income guidelines, Kansas medicaid income limits 2023 child, kansas chip income guidelines 2023, Kansas Medicaid Income Limits 2023, Kansas Medicaid Eligibility
Kansas Medicaid Income Limits 2023 : Kansas Medicaid, also referred to as the Kansas Medical Assistance Program (KMAP), is a jointly-funded state and Federal government program that pays for medically necessary services. Medicaid pays for medical services for children and their caretakers, pregnant women, and persons who are disabled, blind or 65 years of age or older.
Who is eligible for Kansas Medicaid?
To be eligible for Kansas Medicaid, you must be a resident of the state of Kansas, a U.S. national, citizen, permanent resident, or legal alien, in need of health care/insurance assistance, whose financial situation would be characterized as low income or very low income. You must also be one of the following:
- Pregnant, or
- Be responsible for a child 18 years of age or younger, or
- Blind, or
- Have a disability or a family member in your household with a disability, or
- Be 65 years of age or older.
Kansas Medicaid Long-Term Care Definition
Medicaid is a health care program for low-income individuals of all ages. Although there are many different coverage groups, the focus of this page is on long-term care Medicaid eligibility for elderly Kansas residents age 65 and older. In addition to care services in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and adult foster care homes, KS Medicaid pays for non-medical services and aids to help vulnerable seniors stay in their homes. There are three categories of Medicaid long-term care programs for which Kansas seniors may be eligible.
Institutional / Nursing Home Medicaid : This is an entitlement program; anyone who is eligible will receive assistance. Benefits are provided only in nursing home facilities.
Medicaid Waivers / Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) : These are not entitlement programs; there are a limited number of participant slots and waiting lists may exist. Intended to delay the need for nursing home admissions, services are provided at home, adult day care, adult foster care homes, or in assisted living.
Regular Medicaid / Aged Blind and Disabled (ABD) : This is an entitlement program; anyone who meets the requirements will receive benefits. Limited long-term care services, such as personal care assistance or adult day care, may be available.
In Kansas, the Medicaid program is called KanCare. While the program is jointly funded by the state and federal government, it is administered by the state under federally set parameters. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is the administering agency.
Kansas Medicaid Income & Asset Limits for Eligibility
The three categories of Medicaid long-term care programs have differing financial and medical (functional) eligibility requirements. Further complicating eligibility are the facts that the financial criteria changes annually, varies with marital status, and that Kansas offers several pathways towards eligibility.
Simplified Eligibility Criteria: Single Applicant for Nursing Home Care
Kansas seniors must be financially and medically eligible for long-term care Medicaid. They must have limited assets and a medical need for care. While there is no income limit, nearly all of one’s income must be paid towards the cost of nursing home care. In 2023, a single individual applying for Nursing Home Medicaid in KS must 1) have assets under $2,000 3) require the level of care provided in a nursing home facility.
The table below provides a quick reference to allow seniors to determine if they might be immediately eligible for long-term care from a Kansas Medicaid program. Alternatively, one can take the Medicaid Eligibility Test. IMPORTANT: Not meeting all of the criteria does not mean one is ineligible or cannot become eligible for Medicaid in Kansas.
Kansas Medicaid Income Limits 2023
| 2023 Kansas Medicaid Long-Term Care Eligibility for Seniors | |||||||||
| Type of Medicaid | Single | Married (both spouses applying) | Married (one spouse applying) | ||||||
| Income Limit | Asset Limit | Level of Care Required | Income Limit | Asset Limit | Level of Care Required | Income Limit | Asset Limit | Level of Care Required | |
| Institutional / Nursing Home Medicaid | No set income limit* | $2,000 | Nursing Home | No set income limit* | $3,000 | Nursing Home | No set income limit* | $2,000 for applicant & $148,620 for non-applicant | Nursing Home |
| Medicaid Waivers / Home and Community Based Services | No set income limit† | $2,000 | Nursing Home | No set income limit† | $3,000 | Nursing Home | No set income limit† | $2,000 for applicant & $148,620 for non-applicant | Nursing Home |
| Regular Medicaid / Aged Blind and Disabled | $475 / month‡ | $2,000 | Help with ADLs | $475 / month‡ | $3,000 | Help with ADLs | $475 / month‡ | $3,000 | Help with ADLs |
Any income over $62 / month must go towards nursing home costs. An exception exists for paying for private health insurance and potentially a Spousal Income Allowance for a non-applicant spouse.
Any income over $2,742 / month must go towards care costs. An exception may exist for paying for private health insurance and potentially a Spousal Income Allowance for a non-applicant spouse.
While the income limit for Regular Medicaid is quite low, seniors who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments automatically qualify for Medicaid. In 2023, this pathway to Medicaid eligibility allows a single elderly person up to $914 / month in income, while it allows married couples as much as $1,371 / month in income.
Kansas Food Stamps Monthly Income Guidelines 2023
How To Apply For Food Stamps (SNAP benefits)
Kansas Medicaid Medical / Functional Need Requirements
An applicant must have a medical need for Medicaid long-term care. For Nursing Home Medicaid and Medicaid Waivers, a Nursing Home Level of Care (NHLOC) is required. Furthermore, additional criteria may need to be met for specific program benefits. As an example, for a Waiver to cover the cost of home modifications, an inability to safely and independently live at home without modifications may be required. For long-term care services via the Regular Medicaid program, a functional need with the Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) is required, but a NHLOC is not necessarily required.
Qualifying When Over the Limits
For Kansas elderly residents (aged 65 and over) who do not meet the financial eligibility requirements above, there are other ways to qualify for long-term care Medicaid.
Medically Needy Pathway | Kansas Medicaid Income Limits 2023
Kansas has a Spend Down Program for persons categorically aged, blind or disabled who have income over the Medicaid limit. This program allows persons to become income-eligible for Medicaid services by spending the majority of their income on medical bills. In 2023, the Medically Needy Income Limit (MNIL), called the Protected Income Level in KS, is $475 / month for an individual, as well as a couple.
The “spend down” amount is the difference between one’s monthly income and the Protected Income Level. This can be thought of as a deductible and is calculated for a 6 month period. Once one has met their “spend down”, they are income-eligible for Medicaid benefits for the remainder of the period. The Medically Needy Asset Limit is $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple.
Asset Spend Down
Persons who have assets over Medicaid’s limit can “spend down” assets and become asset-eligible. This can be done by spending excess assets on non-countable ones, such as home modifications for safety and accessibility purposes. This includes installing wheelchair ramps, stair lifts, walk-in showers, and the addition of first floor bedrooms.
Other ways to “spend down” assets include prepaying funeral and burial expenses and paying off debt. Remember, assets cannot be gifted or sold under fair market value, as doing so violates Medicaid’s Look-Back Rule. It is recommended one keep documentation of how assets were spent as proof this rue was not violated.
Medicaid Planning | Kansas Medicaid Income Limits 2023
The majority of persons considering Medicaid are “over-income” and / or “over-asset”, but they still cannot afford their cost of care. For these persons, Medicaid planning exists. By working with a Medicaid Planning Professional, families can employ a variety of strategies to help them become Medicaid eligible, as well as to protect their home from Medicaid’s Estate Recovery Program. Connect with a Medicaid Planner.
FHA Loan Application | FHA Loan First Time Home Buyer
The Mortgage Loan Process Step-By-Step
How to Apply for Kansas Medicaid
Elderly Kansas residents can apply for Medicaid online via the KanCare Medical Consumer Self-Service Portal. Applicants can call the KanCare Clearinghouse at 1-800-792-4884 for additional program information or to request an application. Completed paper applications can be mailed to KanCare Clearinghouse (P.O. Box 3599, Topeka, KS 66601-9738) or faxed to 1-844-264-6285. Seniors can contact their local Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) for more information or for application assistance.
Prior to applying for Kansas Medicaid / KanCare, it is vital that one is confident that the eligibility criteria discussed above are met. Seniors who are over the income and / or asset limit(s), or are unsure if they meet all the requirements, should strongly consider Medicaid planning. Applying for long-term care Medicaid is frequently a complicated and lengthy process. Familiarizing oneself with general information about the application process can be helpful.
Specific Kansas Medicaid Programs
In addition to nursing home care, KanCare offers two other programs that help nursing home qualified persons remain living outside of nursing homes.
HCBS Frail Elderly (HCBS/FE) Waiver | Kansas Medicaid Income Limits 2023
Supportive services to promote independent living are provided. Benefits may include adult day care, assisted living services, adult foster care services, personal emergency response systems, nursing evaluation visits, and more.
Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)
The benefits of Medicaid, including long-term care services, and Medicare are combined into one program. Additional benefits, such as dental and eye care, may be available.
Kansas Medicaid Asset Definition & Exceptions
Countable vs. Non-Countable Assets
Countable assets, sometimes called liquid assets, are those that can easily be converted to cash to help cover the cost of long-term care. Examples include cash, stocks, bonds, investments, bank accounts (credit union, savings, and checking), pension funds, the applicant’s IRA / 401K, any remaining funds from Covid Stimulus checks, and real estate in which one does not reside. There are also many assets that are exempt; They are not counted towards the asset limit.
Exemptions include personal keepsakes and belongings, household goods and furnishings, one automobile, life insurance policies with a death benefit (also called face value) up to $1,500, burial spaces, irrevocable burial fund agreements up to $10,820, a non-applicant spouse’s IRA / 401K, and generally one’s primary home.
Home Exemption Rules | Kansas Medicaid Income Limits 2023
For home exemption, the Medicaid applicant must reside in their home or have Intent to Return, and in 2023, their home equity interest must be no more than $688,000. Home equity is the value of the home after subtracting any outstanding debt against it. Equity interest is the amount of home equity owned by the applicant. For Regular Medicaid applicants, there is no home equity interest. Furthermore, if a non-applicant spouse lives in the home, it is automatically exempt regardless of any other circumstances.
While one’s home is generally exempt from Medicaid’s asset limit, it is not exempt from Medicaid’s Estate Recovery Program. Following a long-term care Medicaid beneficiary’s death, Kansas’ Medicaid agency attempts reimbursement of care costs through whatever estate of the deceased still remains. This is often the home. Without proper planning strategies in place, the home will be used to reimburse Medicaid for providing care rather than going to family as inheritance.
EBT Card Issuance Tracking – Track My EBT Card In The Mail
USDA 502 Loan Application & Eligibility Requirements
Treatment of Assets for a Couple | Kansas Medicaid Income Limits 2023
All assets of a married couple are considered jointly owned. This is true regardless of the long-term care Medicaid program for which one is applying and regardless of if one or both spouses are applicants. Spousal Impoverishment Rules, however, permit the non-applicant spouse of a Medicaid nursing home or Waiver applicant a Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA).
In 2023, the community spouse (the non-applicant spouse) can retain 50% of the couples assets, up to a maximum of $148,620. If the non-applicant’s share of the assets is under $29,724, 100% of the assets, up to $29,724 can be retained by the non-applicant. Note that there is no CSRA for a non-applicant spouse of a Regular Medicaid applicant.
Medicaid’s Look-Back Rule | Kansas Medicaid Income Limits 2023
Kansas has a 60 month (5 year) Medicaid Look-Back Period that immediately precedes the date of one’s Nursing Home Medicaid or Medicaid Waiver application. During the “look back”, Medicaid checks all past asset transfers, including asset transfers made by one’s spouse, to ensure no assets were gifted or sold under fair market value. This is done to discourage persons from gifting assets to meet Medicaid’s asset limit.
Violating the Look-Back Rule, even unintentionally, results in a Penalty Period of Medicaid ineligibility. The U.S. Federal Gift Tax Rule does not extend to Medicaid eligibility. In 2023, this rule allows one to gift up to $17,000 per recipient without filing a gift tax return. Gifting under this rule violates Medicaid’s Look-Back Period. The Look-Back Rule does not apply to Regular Medicaid applicants and their spouses.
Kansas Medicaid Income Definition & Exceptions
Countable vs. Non-Countable Income
Nearly any income from any source that a Medicaid applicant receives is counted towards Medicaid’s income limit. This includes cash from family and friends, Railroad Retirement benefits, employment wages, alimony payments, pension payments, annuity payments, Social Security Disability Income, Social Security Income, IRA withdrawals, stock dividends, and Veteran’s benefits with the exception of Aid & Attendance pension. Holocaust restitution payments are also considered non-countable income.
Treatment of Income for a Couple | Kansas Medicaid Income Limits 2023
When just one spouse of a married couple applies for Institutional Medicaid or a Medicaid Waiver, only the income of the applicant is counted. This is often called the “name on the check rule” and means that the income belongs to the person whose name is on the check. Therefore, a non-applicant spouse’s income is disregarded and does not impact the income eligibility of their applicant spouse.
The non-applicant spouse, however, may be entitled to a Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (MMMNA) from their applicant spouse. The MMMNA is a Spousal Impoverishment Provision and is the minimum amount of monthly income a non-applicant spouse is said to require to avoid spousal impoverishment. In KS, the MMMNA is $2,465 (eff. 7/1/23 – 6/30/24). If a non-applicant’s monthly income falls under $2,465, income can be transferred to them from their applicant spouse, bringing their income up to this level.
In Kansas, a non-applicant spouse can further increase their Spousal Income Allowance if their housing and utility costs exceed a “shelter standard” of $739.50 / month (eff. 7/1/23 – 6/30/24). However, in 2023, a Spousal Income Allowance cannot push a non-applicant’s total monthly income over $3,715.50. This is the Maximum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance.
Income is counted differently when only one spouse applies for Regular Medicaid / Aged Blind and Disabled; both the income of the applicant spouse and non-applicant spouse is counted towards the income limit. Furthermore, there is no Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance for a non-applicant spouse.