Medicaid Long-Term Care Guide in Kansas

• Nearly any income from any source is counted, including cash from family/friends, Railroad Retirement benefits, employment wages, alimony, pension payments, annuity payments, SSDI, SSI, IRA withdrawals, and stock dividends.
• Nationally, Holocaust restitution payments are not counted as income.
• In KS, the VA Aid & Attendance Pension, which is above and beyond the Basic VA Pension, does not count.
• Kansas has no set income limit for Nursing Home Medicaid or HCBS — nearly all income must go towards care costs (Patient Liability).
• When only one spouse applies for Institutional Medicaid or a Medicaid Waiver, only the applicant's income is counted (the 'name on the check rule').
• The MMMNA in KS is $2,643.75 (eff. 7/1/25 – 6/30/26). If a non-applicant's income is under this amount, income can be transferred from the applicant spouse.
• A non-applicant spouse can increase their allowance if housing/utility costs exceed the 'shelter standard' of $793.13 / month (eff. 7/1/25 – 6/30/26). The Maximum MMMNA is $4,066.50.
• For Regular Medicaid, both spouses' income is counted. There is no MMMNA for a non-applicant spouse.

Kansas has no hard income limit for Nursing Home Medicaid — the Personal Needs Allowance is only $62 / month, with nearly all remaining income going towards care costs.

• Countable assets include cash, stocks, bonds, investments, cryptocurrency, bank accounts (money market, savings, checking), pension funds, and real estate in which one does not reside.
• In Kansas, an applicant's IRA / 401K is countable. A non-applicant spouse's IRA / 401K is exempt.
• Non-countable (exempt) assets include personal belongings, household furnishings, one automobile, life insurance policies with face value up to $1,500, burial spaces, irrevocable burial fund agreements up to $11,960, and generally one's primary home.
• All assets of a married couple are considered jointly owned regardless of the Medicaid program.
• The CSRA allows the non-applicant spouse to retain 50% of the couple's assets, up to $162,660 (2026). If the non-applicant's share is under $32,532, up to $32,532 can be retained.
• There is no CSRA for Regular Medicaid.

• The primary home is automatically exempt if the applicant's spouse, child under 21, or permanently blind or disabled child (of any age) lives in it.
• If this is not the case, there is a home equity interest limit of $730,000 (in 2026).
• Home equity is the value of the home minus any outstanding debt against it. Equity interest is the amount of equity owned by the applicant.
• If neither the applicant nor qualifying family live in the home, the applicant must have Intent to Return.
• There is no home equity interest limit for Regular Medicaid.
• The home is NOT exempt from Medicaid's Estate Recovery Program. After a beneficiary's death, Kansas' Medicaid agency attempts reimbursement of care costs through the deceased's estate.

• Kansas has a 60-month Look-Back Period for Nursing Home Medicaid and Medicaid Waiver applications that immediately precedes the application date.
• During the look-back, Medicaid checks all past asset transfers, including those by one's spouse, to ensure none were gifted or sold under fair market value.
• Violations result in a Penalty Period of Medicaid ineligibility, even if unintentional.
• The Look-Back Rule does NOT apply to Regular Medicaid.
• The U.S. Federal Gift Tax Rule ($19,000 per recipient in 2026) does not extend to Medicaid eligibility — gifting under this rule still violates the Look-Back Period.

• MMMNA: $2,643.75 (eff. 7/1/25 – 6/30/26) · CSRA: $162,660 · CSRA Min: $32,532
• When only one spouse applies for Institutional Medicaid or a Medicaid Waiver, only the applicant's income is counted ('name on the check rule').
• The MMMNA in Kansas is $2,643.75 (eff. 7/1/25 – 6/30/26). If the non-applicant's income is under this amount, income can be transferred from the applicant spouse.
• A non-applicant spouse can increase their allowance if housing/utility costs exceed the 'shelter standard' of $793.13 / month. The Maximum MMMNA is $4,066.50.
• The CSRA allows the non-applicant spouse to retain 50% of the couple's assets, up to $162,660. The minimum CSRA is $32,532.
• For Regular Medicaid, both spouses' income is counted and there is no MMMNA or CSRA.

• Medically Needy Pathway — Kansas has a Spend Down Program for persons categorically aged, blind, or disabled who are over the income limit. The medically needy income limit (called the 'protected income level' / PIL in KS) is $994 / month for individuals and $1,491 / month for couples (eff. 1/1/26). The spend-down is calculated for a 6-month period. Once met, one is income-eligible for the remainder of the period. The medically needy asset limit is $2,000 for individuals and $3,000 for couples.
• Asset Spend-Down — Spend excess assets on non-countable items such as home modifications (wheelchair ramps, stair lifts, walk-in showers, first-floor bedrooms), prepaying funeral/burial expenses, and paying off debt. Keep documentation as proof the Look-Back Rule was not violated.
• Medicaid Planning — Work with a Medicaid Planning Professional to employ strategies to become eligible and protect your home from Medicaid's Estate Recovery Program.

Kansas does not use Qualified Income Trusts (Miller Trusts). There is no hard income limit for Nursing Home Medicaid or HCBS — nearly all income goes towards care costs. The Medically Needy pathway is available for Regular Medicaid applicants over the income limit.