Kentucky Medicaid Income Limits
Updated August 2026
Kentucky uses MAGI (Modified Adjusted Gross Income) methodology for most eligibility groups. MAGI-based groups have no asset test. Non-MAGI groups — seniors, people with disabilities — face both income and asset limits. Figures below reflect kynect.ky.gov's published 2026 eligibility standards, which already include the mandatory 5-percentage-point MAGI income disregard.
138% FPL
Adults 19–64 (expansion)
200% FPL
Pregnant women & infants
147% FPL
Children ages 1–18
218% FPL
KCHIP ceiling
Kentucky expanded Medicaid in 2014 — adults at or below 138% FPL qualify for full coverage, no asset test
Kentucky was among the first states to expand Medicaid under the ACA, beginning January 1, 2014. Adults ages 19–64 with household income at or below 138% FPL qualify for Kentucky Medicaid without an asset test. Savings accounts, vehicles, and home equity are not counted for this group.
Kentucky Medicaid income limits by coverage group (2026)
| Coverage group | FPL % | Approximate monthly limit (individual) |
|---|---|---|
| Adults ages 19–64 (ACA expansion) | 138% | ~$1,835/mo |
| Parents and caretaker relatives | 138% | No asset test |
| Children under age 1 — Medicaid | Up to 200% | No asset test |
| Children ages 1–18 — Medicaid | Up to 147% | No asset test |
| Pregnant women | Up to 200% | No asset test; 12 months postpartum |
| KCHIP (children's and pregnant women's CHIP program) | Up to 218% | No premium — KCHIP is free |
| Seniors 65+ / Aged, Blind, Disabled | SSI-linked | Asset test applies |
| Nursing facility / HCBS waivers | 300% FBR | ~$2,982/mo individual (2026) |
Adults ages 19–64 (ACA expansion)
- FPL %
- 138%
- Approximate monthly limit (individual)
- ~$1,835/mo
Parents and caretaker relatives
- FPL %
- 138%
- Approximate monthly limit (individual)
- No asset test
Children under age 1 — Medicaid
- FPL %
- Up to 200%
- Approximate monthly limit (individual)
- No asset test
Children ages 1–18 — Medicaid
- FPL %
- Up to 147%
- Approximate monthly limit (individual)
- No asset test
Pregnant women
- FPL %
- Up to 200%
- Approximate monthly limit (individual)
- No asset test; 12 months postpartum
KCHIP (children's and pregnant women's CHIP program)
- FPL %
- Up to 218%
- Approximate monthly limit (individual)
- No premium — KCHIP is free
Seniors 65+ / Aged, Blind, Disabled
- FPL %
- SSI-linked
- Approximate monthly limit (individual)
- Asset test applies
Nursing facility / HCBS waivers
- FPL %
- 300% FBR
- Approximate monthly limit (individual)
- ~$2,982/mo individual (2026)
No asset test for MAGI-based coverage groups
Adults in the expansion group, parents, pregnant women, and children with MAGI-based eligibility face no asset test in Kentucky. This is the standard rule in all ACA expansion states. Savings accounts, investment accounts, vehicles, and home equity do not affect eligibility for these groups.
Seniors age 65 and older and adults who are blind or disabled applying for SSI-linked Medicaid do face asset limits. Generally, the countable resource limit is $2,000 for a single individual and $3,000 for a couple, with the primary home, one vehicle, household goods, and certain burial funds excluded.
KCHIP income limit: 218% FPL with no premium
Kentucky splits children's Medicaid into two age bands: infants under age 1 qualify up to 200% FPL, while children ages 1 through 18 qualify up to 147% FPL. Children whose family income is too high for Medicaid but at or below 218% FPL — Kentucky's CHIP program, KCHIP — get coverage at no cost to the family. Per kynect.ky.gov, KCHIP is free health insurance for eligible families. This distinguishes KCHIP from many other state CHIP programs that charge monthly premiums.
KCHIP also covers pregnant women and women within 12 months postpartum whose income is too high for Medicaid (200% FPL) but at or below 218% FPL. This postpartum coverage mirrors the adult Medicaid postpartum benefit and provides continuity for new mothers who may transition between coverage types after delivery.
What counts as income under MAGI
MAGI includes wages and salary, self-employment income, unemployment compensation, most Social Security benefits, rental income, and most other taxable income. It excludes child support received, student loan proceeds, most needs-based benefits (SNAP, TANF, energy assistance), and certain other items. For households with variable income — seasonal work, self-employment, tips — DMS uses the current monthly income projection rather than prior-year tax data when the two differ significantly.
Medicare Savings Programs (QMB) in Kentucky
Kentucky expanded Medicaid in 2014, but that 138% FPL threshold applies to adults under 65 — it isn't the pathway Kentucky Medicare beneficiaries use. Seniors and people with disabilities who are enrolled in Medicare instead qualify, if their income is low enough, for the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program or its related SLMB and QI tiers.
| Program | Situation | Monthly income limit |
|---|---|---|
| QMB | Individual | $1,350/mo |
| QMB | Married couple | $1,824/mo |
| SLMB | Individual | $1,616/mo |
| SLMB | Married couple | $2,184/mo |
| QI | Individual | $1,816/mo |
| QI | Married couple | $2,455/mo |
QMB
- Situation
- Individual
- Monthly income limit
- $1,350/mo
QMB
- Situation
- Married couple
- Monthly income limit
- $1,824/mo
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 goes furthest: it pays the Part A premium for anyone who owes one, the full Part B premium ($202.90/month in 2026), and all Medicare deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments, for individuals earning up to $1,350/month or couples up to $1,824/month. SLMB and QI reach higher incomes — $1,616 and $1,816/month individually — but pay only the Part B premium.
A Kentucky provider cannot bill a QMB enrollee for Medicare cost-sharing under any circumstances; that protection comes from federal law, not from Frankfort. QI's funding is capped by Congress each year and processed first-come, first-served, so QI enrollees, unlike QMB and SLMB enrollees, need to reapply annually to keep the benefit.
QMB, SLMB, and QI members are automatically enrolled in Extra Help, which caps what they pay for covered Part D prescriptions at $12.65 in 2026. Because these are Medicaid benefits, Kentuckians apply through Kentucky Medicaid — via kynect.ky.gov or the Department for Medicaid Services at chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dms — not through Medicare.
Kentucky Medicaid
Visit the official Kentucky Medicaid websiteIncome Limits in Nearby States
Related guides
Income Limits
Current income cutoffs by state and household size, tied to the Federal Poverty Level.
Read more →Spend-Down
How to qualify by deducting medical bills from income that's above the limit.
Read more →QMB Program
What the QMB program covers, what a QMB card proves, and how to apply.
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