Kansas Medicaid Income Limits 2026: KanCare Chart

For how Kansas compares with other states, see our national Medicaid income limits guide.

KanCare Income Limits by Household Size (April 2026 Standards)

Kansas publishes 8 separate MAGI income columns for children, pregnancy and parents, and every one of them was updated April 1, 2026, according to the KDHE Medical Assistance Standards data on form F-8. The table below shows the top of each band as KDHE prints it on form F-8; your household's gross monthly income, minus a few tax deductions, has to be at or under the figure.

Source: KDHE, Kansas Medical Assistance Standards, F-8 (07-26) (opens in a new tab), sections A.1 (MAGI programs, CHIP children and caretaker standards, each "Updated 4/1/26"). The percentages are KDHE's own column labels. KDHE footnotes the 171%, 255% and 38% columns as including "additional 5% for upper program limit," which is the federal 5% MAGI disregard built into the top line.

The 6-to-18 column splits in two on the chart: Medicaid proper runs to 113% of poverty ($2,573 for three), and a Medicaid-funded CHIP band covers 113% to 133% ($2,573.01 to $3,028). Both carry the same KanCare card and benefits, so the table shows the combined top.

Who's missing from the table: adults 19 to 64 who aren't pregnant, aren't caring for a child under 19 and don't have a disability. Kansas has no full-Medicaid group for them. That's the coverage gap, explained further down.

What Medicaid.gov shows for Kansas

The federal snapshot is older but agrees. Medicaid.gov's eligibility levels table (opens in a new tab), which records state decisions as of December 1, 2023, lists Kansas at 166% for babies under 1, 149% for ages 1 to 5, 133% for ages 6 to 18, 250% for separate CHIP, 166% for pregnancy, 33% for parents and "No" for adult expansion. The federal table leaves out the 5% disregard, which is why KDHE's top-of-program columns read 5 points higher (171%, 255% and 38%).

KanCare CHIP Premiums and the Children's Ladder

KanCare CHIP charges $0, $20, $30 or $50 a month depending on where family income falls between 134% and 255% of poverty, according to the CHIP table on form F-8. A child has to be uninsured to get CHIP; KanCare fact sheet FS-9 says CHIP is for children who "don't qualify for Medicaid" and aren't already covered.

Source: KDHE form F-8 (07-26), "CHIP Children - Updated 4/1/26," and KanCare program fact sheets (opens in a new tab) FS-9. FS-9 adds that CHIP premiums "must be paid to keep coverage at review."

Two details matter here. First, a baby under 1 stays on full Medicaid up to $3,894 for a family of three, so infants skip the no-premium CHIP band entirely and start paying only above 171%. Second, the premium is tied to household income, so a raise of a few dollars can move a family into the next band at its next review.

How Kansas Counts Your Income for KanCare

KanCare uses Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) for children, parents and pregnant women, starting from gross pay before taxes, according to KanCare's eligibility page. KDHE then subtracts "qualifying pre-tax, federal deductions," which on the July 2026 F-8 include student loan interest up to $208.33 a month, a health savings account deduction up to $729.17 and an IRA deduction up to $625 for people under 50.

What KDHE counts and doesn't count for families:

• Counted: wages, self-employment profit, unemployment benefits and Social Security benefits (except SSI) of everyone in the tax household. KanCare fact sheet FS-10 lists these by name.
• Not counted: SSI. Child support received is excluded under federal MAGI rules.
• Household size follows your tax return. FS-9, FS-10 and FS-11 all say family size "is usually determined by your income tax unit," and a minor or a tax dependent may be counted with parents.
• A child's own small job may not count. F-8 lists the 2026 MAGI tax filing thresholds: $15,750 of earned income or $1,350 of unearned income. A dependent child under those amounts usually isn't required to file, so the child's income is left out of the household total.
• Pregnancy counts the baby. FS-11 says "your unborn child is also included" in the family size.
• No asset test applies to children, parents or pregnant women. KanCare's eligibility page says plans "for families and children do not have a limit."

Medicaid for people who are 65 or older, blind or disabled uses older SSI-based rules, with an asset test. Those come next.

KanCare for Seniors, Blind and Disabled People: Income and Asset Limits

Kansas ties most of its aged, blind and disabled coverage to the $994 a month 2026 SSI federal benefit rate, and its asset limit is $2,000 for one person, according to the F-8 standards updated January 1, 2026. Kansas doesn't have a separate community group at a higher poverty percentage, so an older Kansan above $994 usually moves into spenddown, a Medicare Savings Program or long-term care rules.

Sources: KDHE form F-8 (07-26), sections A.2 and E, and KanCare fact sheet FS-3 "Overview of Programs for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities" (4-26). SSI-based figures took effect January 1, 2026; poverty-based Medicare Savings Program and Working Healthy figures took effect April 1, 2026.

Long-term care numbers KDHE uses in 2026:

• Personal needs allowance: a nursing home resident keeps $62 a month, per F-8's institutional protected income level. FS-3 says people with income above that "help pay for their care."
• HCBS waiver: someone getting home and community-based services keeps up to $2,982 a month before owing a client obligation.
• Spouse at home: the community spouse resource allowance runs from $32,532 to $162,660 (January 2026), and the minimum monthly needs allowance is $2,705 from July 2026.
• Home equity cap: $752,000.
• Transfer penalty: gifts in the 5-year look-back are divided by an average daily nursing facility rate of $308.25 (July 2026) to set the penalty period.
• Irrevocable funeral services: up to $11,960 is set aside (July 2026).

If a parent or spouse might also qualify for the SSI check itself, our SSI income limits guide and SSI benefits guide cover the federal rules.

Kansas and Medicaid Expansion: The Adult Coverage Gap

Kansas is one of 10 states that haven't adopted Medicaid expansion, according to KFF's expansion tracker dated October 16, 2026, a non-government compilation. In an expansion state, an adult 19 to 64 qualifies up to 138% of poverty, about $1,836 a month for one person in 2026 (a Grantsights calculation from the HHS guideline). In Kansas, that adult qualifies for nothing unless another rule applies.

KanCare's own eligibility page (opens in a new tab) lists the only groups it covers: children, pregnant women, former foster care youth under 26, blind or disabled people, people 65 and older, low-income families with children, people in TB treatment, women screened through Early Detection Works and SSI recipients. If a person "does not fall into one of these groups, they do not qualify," the page says.

Here's why that hurts the poorest adults most. HealthCare.gov's Medicaid expansion page (opens in a new tab) explains what happens next: Marketplace premium tax credits begin at 100% of poverty, so an adult below that line, in a state that didn't expand, gets neither. In Kansas in 2026, 100% of poverty is $1,330 a month for one person, according to the HHS poverty guideline data published in January.

Grantsights calculation from KDHE's April 2026 standards and the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines ($15,960 for one, $27,320 for three). The children in each of these families still qualify for KanCare Medicaid or CHIP.

What about work requirements? The federal rule published in the Federal Register on June 3, 2026 (opens in a new tab) makes states start an 80-hour-a-month work, school or volunteering requirement no later than January 1, 2027, along with 6-month renewals for that group. Both apply to the expansion adult group. Because Kansas has no expansion group, KanCare's children, pregnancy, caretaker and SSI-related groups aren't affected by it.

Options for adults in the gap

• MediKan: state-funded, limited coverage for people waiting on a Social Security disability decision, with a 12-month lifetime limit, per FS-3.
• Breast and cervical cancer coverage: through the Early Detection Works screening program (1-877-277-1368).
• Emergency coverage for some noncitizens: KanCare's emergency program (formerly called SOBRA) covers life-threatening emergencies and labor and delivery.
• Community health centers: federally funded clinics charge on a sliding scale; find one with HRSA's health center finder (opens in a new tab).
• KanCare Ombudsman list: the Ombudsman's office (855-643-8180) keeps a list of medical, pharmacy, vision and dental help for people without insurance.

Worked Examples: Kansas Families in 2026

For example, a family of three in Kansas earning $3,500 a month (a single dad with children aged 3 and 11, no other insurance) gets this result under the April 2026 standards:

1. The 3-year-old: the Medicaid line for ages 1 to 5 is $3,393, so she's $107 over. She moves to KanCare CHIP, and at $3,500 she's under the $3,780 no-premium line, so there's no premium.
2. The 11-year-old: the ages 6 to 18 line is $3,028, so he's over too. He's also in the no-premium CHIP band up to $3,780.
3. Dad: the caretaker limit for three is $866. Specifically, he's $2,634 over and has no KanCare group. At about 154% of poverty ($3,500 divided by $2,277), he can buy a Marketplace plan with a premium tax credit.

If that same dad got a raise to $4,000 a month, both children would land in the $20 premium band (167% to 191%, up to $4,349).

A married couple in Wichita expecting their first child counts as three people under FS-11. On $3,800 a month together, she's $94 under the $3,894 pregnancy limit, so she qualifies with no asset check. Her husband doesn't qualify as a caretaker until the baby is born, and even then the $866 caretaker line is far below their income.

One widow in Topeka, 76, with $1,195 a month in Social Security and $1,500 in savings is over the $994 SSI-related limit. KanCare fact sheet FS-8 works this exact case: $1,195 minus the $994 protected income level minus a $20 disregard leaves a $181 monthly spenddown, or $1,086 over a 6-month period. Her prescriptions and doctor bills count toward it. She's also under the $1,330 QMB limit and the $9,950 asset limit, so KanCare can pay her $202.90 Medicare Part B premium.

What KDHE Doesn't Tell You About These Limits

Grantsights analysis of KDHE's July 2026 F-8 standards, its April 2026 fact sheets and the KanCare appeals pages found 5 things that aren't spelled out on any single chart:

1. A parent's line is about one-seventh of the child's. For a family of three, the caretaker limit is $866 and the CHIP ceiling is $5,806, which is 6.7 times higher. The caretaker line works out to about $10,392 a year, or 38% of the $27,320 poverty guideline for three. A parent working full time at almost any wage is over it, so for most Kansas parents the honest best bet is a Marketplace plan while the children stay on KanCare.
2. The 5% disregard only shows up at the top of a program. KDHE adds it to the pregnancy, CHIP and caretaker ceilings, but not to the line between children's Medicaid and CHIP. That's why the ages 1 to 5 column stops at exactly 149% while the pregnancy column reads 171%.
3. Two appeal deadlines are posted. KanCare's state fair hearings page (opens in a new tab) gives 33 calendar days from the date on the notice, while the KanCare FAQ says a hearing must be requested "within 30 days." Filing inside 30 days satisfies both.
4. Late renewals start over. Since July 1, 2025, KanCare treats a review returned after its due date as a brand-new application, and backdating isn't guaranteed. The review form arrives about 60 days before the due date.
5. The spenddown protected income is set at the SSI rate. The $994 protected income level for one person is the same figure as the SSI payment. When SSI rises to $1,029 in January 2027, spenddowns should shrink by about $35 a month, though KDHE hadn't posted its January 2027 standards when we checked.

Common Mistakes and Red Flags

A common mistake is comparing take-home pay to the KanCare chart. KDHE starts from gross income before taxes, then subtracts only specific pre-tax and federal deductions, so use the gross line on your pay stub.

Other errors Kansas applicants make:

• Assuming the kids are out because the parent is. A family of four can earn $7,013 a month and still have children on KanCare CHIP, with a $50 premium at the top.
• Leaving out the unborn baby. A pregnant woman living alone is a household of two, so her limit is $3,084, not $2,275.
• Applying the senior asset test to a family case. Children, parents and pregnant women have no asset test in Kansas.
• Skipping CHIP premiums. FS-9 says premiums must be paid to keep coverage at review.
• Underestimating what a senior can get. Someone over $994 may still qualify for a spenddown, QMB up to $1,330, ELMB up to $1,796 or long-term care up to $2,982.
• Missing the October 2026 immigration change. KanCare's immigrant eligibility page (opens in a new tab) says refugees, asylees, humanitarian parolees and survivors of domestic violence or trafficking who haven't become green card holders lost eligibility October 1, 2026, including pregnant women and children on CHIP. Emergency coverage, including labor and delivery, still applies.

Red flags for scams: applying for KanCare is free. Anyone who charges a fee to apply, promises approval or asks for your KanCare ID or portal password by text isn't KDHE. Real applications go through the state's self-service portal, the KanCare Clearinghouse at 1-800-792-4884 or a paper application mailed to the Clearinghouse.

How to Apply for KanCare and How Long It Takes

Kansas has 45 days to decide most applications and 90 days for one based on disability, under the federal timeliness rule at 42 CFR 435.912 (opens in a new tab). Applications go to the KanCare Clearinghouse, not a county office.

1. Apply online at the KanCare Medical Consumer Self-Service Portal (cssp.kees.ks.gov), by phone at 1-800-792-4884 (TTY 1-800-792-4292) to have an application mailed, or with a paper application from KanCare's website. Families and seniors use different paper applications, both listed on KanCare's policy appendix page.
2. Have ready: pay stubs or other proof of income, Social Security numbers, immigration documents if they apply and any other health insurance cards. Seniors also need bank statements and proof of other assets.
3. Ask about past months. KanCare's eligibility page says coverage can reach back up to 3 months before the application month "if requested," and the question is in Section C of the application.
4. Already have an open case? You can add a family member, such as a newborn, by calling 1-800-792-4884 instead of filing a new application, per FS-10 and FS-11.
5. Pick a health plan. Every KanCare member is in one of 3 KanCare health plans. You choose on the application and have 90 days after approval to change.

Coverage is reviewed once a year, and you'll want to keep your address current, because the review form comes by mail.

What to Do If You're Denied

You have 33 calendar days from the date on the notice to request a state fair hearing with the Office of Administrative Hearings, according to the KanCare state fair hearing guide posted for members. A request can be made by phone at 1-800-792-4884, by fax at 785-296-4848 or by mail to the Office of Administrative Hearings, 1020 S. Kansas Ave., Topeka, KS 66612.

• Keep coverage during the appeal. Coverage continues if you ask for a hearing before the decision takes effect or within 15 calendar days of the notice date, whichever is later.
• See the file. You or your representative can review the information KDHE used before the hearing.
• Check the math first. Ask which household size, income and program KDHE used. A wrong household count is the easiest error to fix.
• A delay counts too. You can request a hearing if your application is taking too long, not just if it's denied.
• Free help: the KanCare Ombudsman (855-643-8180) helps members with problems and appeals.

If You're Over the Kansas Medicaid Limit

$15,960 to $63,840 a year is the 2026 income range in which one person can get help paying for a Marketplace plan, and that's one of several places to turn when KanCare says no:

• Marketplace coverage: Kansas uses the federal Marketplace at HealthCare.gov (opens in a new tab), where tax credits start at 100% of poverty.
• Medicare: once you turn 65 or after 24 months on Social Security disability; Kansas's QMB, LMB and ELMB programs then help with premiums up to $1,796 a month for one person.
• Spenddown: if medical bills are high, a 6-month spenddown can still cover the rest of the period.
• WIC: pregnant women, new moms and children under 5 in households up to 185% of poverty can get food help; see our WIC income limits guide.
• Food help: see our Kansas food stamps guide and SNAP income limits guide.
• Older Kansans and people with disabilities: our help for seniors programs guide and disability grants for individuals guide cover help beyond Medicaid.
• Where the percentages come from: our federal poverty guidelines guide lists every 2026 guideline amount.
• Neighboring states: all four of Kansas's neighbors expanded Medicaid; compare Missouri Medicaid income limits, Oklahoma's SoonerCare limits, Nebraska's limits and Colorado's limits.

Juggling food, rent or heating bills on top of medical costs? The Grantsights free eligibility checker points Kansans to official programs worth a look. It doesn't decide KanCare eligibility or file anything for you; KDHE makes that call.

When These Limits Change Next

KanCare's poverty-based limits change once a year on April 1, after HHS publishes new poverty guidelines in January. The current MAGI, CHIP and Medicare Savings Program figures carry an "Updated 4/1/26" stamp on KDHE's F-8, so expect new figures around April 1, 2027. According to HHS ASPE's 2026 poverty guidelines (opens in a new tab), 100% of poverty is $15,960 for one person and $27,320 for three; those numbers drive every percentage in this guide.

Kansas's SSI-tied figures, including spenddown and long-term care, move each January 1. SSA's 2027 COLA fact sheet (opens in a new tab) puts the January 2027 SSI federal payment standard at $1,029 for one person (up from $994) and $1,544 for a couple (up from $1,491), after a 3.6% COLA. Three times $1,029 would put Kansas's long-term care special income standard at $3,087 (a Grantsights calculation; KDHE hadn't posted its January 2027 F-8 when we checked).

FAQ: Kansas Medicaid Income Limits

What is the income limit for KanCare in 2026?

For a family of three: $3,028 a month for children 6 to 18, $3,393 for ages 1 to 5, $3,894 for pregnancy or a baby, $5,806 for CHIP and $866 for a parent.

Did Kansas expand Medicaid?

No. Most adults 19 to 64 without children, a pregnancy or a disability can't get KanCare.

What is the KanCare CHIP limit?

255% of poverty, or $5,806 a month for three, with premiums of $20 to $50 above $3,780.

What is the pregnancy income limit?

$3,084 a month for two and $3,894 for three, counting the unborn baby.

Can a single adult get KanCare?

Usually not, unless pregnant, 65 or older, disabled, a former foster care youth under 26 or in another listed group.

What is the nursing home income limit?

$2,982 a month in 2026, with a $2,000 asset limit and a $62 personal needs allowance.

How does the spenddown work?

Countable income above $994 (one person) or $1,491 (two), times 6 months, is the medical bill amount you meet before KanCare pays.

When do the limits change?

Poverty-based limits each April 1; SSI-based limits each January 1.

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Sources

1. KDHE: Kansas Medical Assistance Standards, F-8 (07-26) (opens in a new tab), MAGI and CHIP figures updated April 1, 2026; SSI-based figures January 1, 2026; listed on the KanCare Policy Appendix page (opens in a new tab)
2. KanCare Program Fact Sheets (opens in a new tab): FS-3 (4-26), FS-8 (1-26), FS-9, FS-10 (04-26) and FS-11 (4-26)
3. KanCare: Eligibility (opens in a new tab)
4. KanCare: State Fair Hearings (opens in a new tab)
5. KanCare: Immigrant Eligibility Changes (opens in a new tab), effective October 1, 2026
6. KanCare: Reconsideration Period Policy Update (opens in a new tab), effective July 1, 2025
7. Medicaid.gov eligibility levels table (December 2023 data), used here for Kansas (opens in a new tab), state decisions as of December 1, 2023
8. eCFR: 42 CFR 435.912, Timely determinations of eligibility (opens in a new tab)
9. HHS ASPE: 2026 Poverty Guidelines (opens in a new tab)
10. SSA: 2027 Cost-of-Living Adjustment Fact Sheet (opens in a new tab)
11. Federal Register: Medicaid Program; Community Engagement Requirement for Certain Individuals (opens in a new tab), June 3, 2026
12. HealthCare.gov: Medicaid expansion and what it means for you (opens in a new tab)
13. HRSA: Find a Health Center (opens in a new tab)
14. KFF (non-government compilation): Status of state Medicaid expansion decisions (opens in a new tab), October 16, 2026