Medicaid Office

Kansas Medicaid Income Limits

Updated August 2026

Children and pregnant women in Kansas are covered under MAGI-based rules with no asset test. Per the Kansas Family Medical Assistance Manual (KFMAM § 2271), Kansas tiers children's Medicaid eligibility by age: infants under 1 and pregnant women qualify up to 171% FPL, children ages 1 through 5 up to 149% FPL, and children ages 6 through 18 up to 133% FPL. Kansas also offers HealthWave, its CHIP program, which extends coverage to children up to 238% FPL whose income is too high for Medicaid but who lack access to affordable private insurance.

171% FPL

Infants under 1 & pregnant women

149% FPL

Children ages 1–5

133% FPL

Children ages 6–18

~38% FPL

Parents/caretakers

Kansas has not expanded Medicaid — adults without children or a qualifying disability generally don't qualify

Kansas is one of 10 states that has not expanded Medicaid under the ACA. Adults ages 19–64 without dependent children or a disability do not qualify for KanCare regardless of income. The income limits below cover categories that do exist in Kansas: children, pregnant women, parents/caretaker relatives, and aged/blind/disabled individuals.

KanCare income limits for children and pregnant women (2026)

1

Children 6–18 (133% FPL)
$1,769/mo
Children 1–5 (149% FPL)
$1,982/mo
Infants under 1 & pregnant women (171% FPL)
$2,274/mo
HealthWave CHIP (238% FPL)
$3,165/mo

2

Children 6–18 (133% FPL)
$2,398/mo
Children 1–5 (149% FPL)
$2,687/mo
Infants under 1 & pregnant women (171% FPL)
$3,084/mo
HealthWave CHIP (238% FPL)
$4,292/mo

3

Children 6–18 (133% FPL)
$3,028/mo
Children 1–5 (149% FPL)
$3,392/mo
Infants under 1 & pregnant women (171% FPL)
$3,893/mo
HealthWave CHIP (238% FPL)
$5,419/mo

4

Children 6–18 (133% FPL)
$3,658/mo
Children 1–5 (149% FPL)
$4,098/mo
Infants under 1 & pregnant women (171% FPL)
$4,703/mo
HealthWave CHIP (238% FPL)
$6,545/mo

5

Children 6–18 (133% FPL)
$4,287/mo
Children 1–5 (149% FPL)
$4,803/mo
Infants under 1 & pregnant women (171% FPL)
$5,512/mo
HealthWave CHIP (238% FPL)
$7,672/mo

6

Children 6–18 (133% FPL)
$4,917/mo
Children 1–5 (149% FPL)
$5,508/mo
Infants under 1 & pregnant women (171% FPL)
$6,321/mo
HealthWave CHIP (238% FPL)
$8,798/mo

Income limits for parents and caretaker relatives

Kansas covers parents or caretaker relatives of dependent children, but the income limit is very restrictive. Kansas uses a non-MAGI methodology for this group, resulting in income limits set well below the poverty line. A parent working full time at or near minimum wage will typically exceed these limits.

3 (parent + 2 children)

Monthly income limit (approx. 38% FPL)
~$876/mo
% of federal poverty level
~38% FPL

4 (parent + 3 children)

Monthly income limit (approx. 38% FPL)
~$1,055/mo
% of federal poverty level
~38% FPL

5 (parent + 4 children)

Monthly income limit (approx. 38% FPL)
~$1,233/mo
% of federal poverty level
~38% FPL

Income and asset limits for aged, blind, and disabled

MediKan is a state-funded program unique to Kansas. It provides a temporary bridge for individuals waiting for a disability determination from SSA — particularly those who have applied for SSI or SSDI but not yet received a decision. Per KDHE, MediKan covers up to 9 months while the SSA decision is pending. This is nationally uncommon.

SSI recipients

Income limit
Automatic with SSI (~$994/mo, 2026)
Asset limit
SSI asset rules apply

Nursing facility / HCBS waiver

Income limit
Income over $2,982/mo goes toward cost of care
Asset limit
$2,000 individual

MediKan (SSDI applicants, state-funded)

Income limit
Poverty-related; varies
Asset limit
Verify with DCF

Medicare Savings Programs (QMB, SLMB, QI)

Income limit
Varies — 100% to 135% FPL
Asset limit
Higher asset limits apply

Medicare Savings Programs (QMB) in Kansas

The aged, blind, and disabled table above already lists a Kansas Medicare Savings Programs row, spanning roughly 100% to 135% FPL. What that single row doesn't explain is what each of the three tiers — QMB, SLMB, and QI — actually pays for, and that distinction matters, because QMB is worth substantially more than SLMB or QI to a Kansas Medicare enrollee with the same income.

SLMB

Situation
Individual
Monthly income limit
$1,616/mo

SLMB

Situation
Married couple
Monthly income limit
$2,184/mo

QI

Situation
Individual
Monthly income limit
$1,816/mo

QI

Situation
Married couple
Monthly income limit
$2,455/mo

QMB is the top tier: it pays the Part A premium if one is owed, the full Part B premium ($202.90/month in 2026), and every deductible, coinsurance charge, and copayment Medicare would otherwise bill. Someone enrolled in QMB effectively pays nothing out of pocket for Medicare-covered care. SLMB and QI, by contrast, cover the Part B premium only — nothing else — which is why KanCare groups them together under a wider income band than QMB alone allows.

Federal law prohibits any provider — in Kansas or anywhere else — from billing a QMB enrollee for Medicare cost-sharing, even a provider who doesn't otherwise participate in KanCare. QI carries capped annual federal funding and is awarded first-come, first-served each year; unlike QMB and SLMB, QI enrollees must reapply annually rather than renewing automatically.

QMB, SLMB, and QI enrollees in Kansas are all automatically enrolled in Extra Help, the Medicare Part D low-income subsidy, which limits what they pay per covered prescription to no more than $12.65 in 2026. Apply through KanCare — Kansas's Medicaid program — at kancare.ks.gov, not through Medicare, since the state, not the federal government, determines eligibility for these benefits.

KanCare (Kansas Medicaid)

Visit the official Kansas Medicaid website

Income Limits in Nearby States

Michigan Minnesota Missouri Nebraska North Dakota

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