Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas (SHICK)
Free, unbiased Medicare counseling in Kansas. Trained counselors go through your costs and choices with you, and they don't sell plans.
Medicare and health costs
KanCare (Medicaid) in Kansas
KanCare is Kansas's Medicaid program. For people 65 and older it can pay health costs Medicare doesn't, and you may qualify with income up to $994 a month for one person and savings up to $2,000.
If your income is higher, you may still qualify through Medically Needy once your medical bills are counted, and nursing-home or home-care Medicaid has a higher income limit.
How to apply in Kansas
- By phone
- 1-800-792-4884
- By mail
- Fax applications for elderly people and people with disabilities to 1-844-264-6285.
Applying is free. Nobody should charge you to apply.
Apply on the official siteWho may qualify in Kansas
| One person | Married couple | |
|---|---|---|
| Income limit (2026) | $994 a month (Kansas's independent living standard) | $1,491 a month (Kansas's independent living standard) |
| Savings limit (2026) | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Spend-down if your income is over the limit | Yes: through Medically Needy you may qualify once medical bills bring your income down to the independent living standard ($994 a month for one person, $1,491 for two, 2026). Kansas counts income over periods of up to six months. |
|---|---|
| Income limit for nursing-home or home-care Medicaid (2026) | $2,982 a month (300% special income standard), for nursing homes, home and community-based services (HCBS) and PACE |
| Medicaid for adults under 65 (expansion) | No: Kansas's 2026 standards have no group for low-income adults under 65 without children; parents and caretakers may qualify with very low income (38% of the poverty level). |
Source: KanCare, Kansas Department of Health and Environment (source 1)
How Kansas is different
Where Kansas's rules differ from the federal rules for Medicaid for people with Medicare.
- Spend-down (Medically Needy) available for people over the income limit
Source: KanCare, Kansas Department of Health and Environment (source 1)
Good to know
- Nursing-home residents on Medicaid keep $62 a month for personal needs (2026).
Source: KanCare, Kansas Department of Health and Environment (source 1)
Free help
Free help with this in Kansas
Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS)
Your local Area Agency on Aging can help with meals, rides, help at home, caregiver support and applying for benefits.
More help in Kansas
Medicaid for older adults in another state
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Sources
- KanCare, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Kansas Medical Assistance Standards (F-8, July 2026) (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- KanCare, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Apply Now (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
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