How to Apply for Kentucky Medicaid
Updated August 2026
Here's how to apply for Kentucky Medicaid, what documents you'll need, and what happens after you submit your application.
How to apply for Kentucky Medicaid
- Online via kynect: Apply at kynect.ky.gov. Kynect is the fastest option for most applicants. Create an account, complete the application, and upload documents if requested. The system routes your application to the Department for Medicaid Services automatically.
- By phone: Call 1-855-459-6328 (kynect customer service) to apply by phone or get help with your application. TTY users call 1-855-326-4654.
- DCBS local office: Visit a Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) office in your county. DCBS workers help determine Medicaid eligibility and can assist with the kynect application in person. Find your local office at kynect.ky.gov/benefits/s/find-dcbs-office.
- Mail to DCBS: Download a paper Medicaid application from chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dms/member and mail it to your local DCBS office with supporting documents. This option takes longer than online applications.
What you'll need for your application
- Proof of identity — driver's license, state ID, birth certificate, or passport
- Social Security number for each person applying
- Proof of Kentucky residency — utility bill, lease, or recent mail at current address
- Income documentation — recent pay stubs (30 days), employer letter, or most recent federal tax return
- Self-employment income — Schedule C and a current profit/loss statement
- Other income sources — Social Security award letter, pension statements, rental income documentation
- Immigration documents for non-citizen qualified applicants
- Pregnancy verification if applying while pregnant
After you apply
Standard Kentucky Medicaid applications are processed within 45 days. Once approved, you will receive a notice from DMS with your coverage start date, eligibility category, and instructions for selecting or being assigned to an MCO.
If you need to choose an MCO, you'll have a window to select from available plans in your region. If you don't choose within the deadline, DMS will auto-assign you to a plan. You can switch MCOs annually or with a qualifying reason (provider network change, moving to a new county).
If you applied through healthcare.gov and were found eligible for Medicaid, your application transfers to Kentucky Medicaid automatically. You do not need to apply again through kynect.
Applying for long-term care and waiver services
For nursing facility care or home and community-based waiver services, apply through kynect or your local DCBS office. HCBS waiver applications also require a separate level-of-care determination. Contact CHFS at 1-855-306-8959 or your local DCBS office for guidance on the specific process for your waiver of interest. Each 1915(c) waiver in Kentucky has a different operating agency.
Kentucky Medicaid
Visit the official Kentucky Medicaid websiteRelated guides
How to Apply
A step-by-step walkthrough of the application process and what you'll need.
Read more →Eligibility Requirements
The income, household, age, and state rules that determine who qualifies.
Read more →Approval Time
Federal processing deadlines and what affects your approval timeline.
Read more →