Paying for assisted living in Kansas
Most Kansas families pay for assisted living out of pocket at first, using a mix of retirement income, savings, the proceeds from selling a home, and sometimes long-term care insurance or veterans benefits. Costs vary widely depending on the community, the city, the apartment size, and how much help a resident needs day to day. You can compare current pricing for communities across the state in the pricing tables below.
Because assisted living is rarely fully covered by any single program, it helps to understand what public benefits can and cannot do before you commit.
Does KanCare (the Frail Elderly waiver) cover assisted living in Kansas?
Kansas Medicaid, known as KanCare, can help pay for some assisted living services through the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Frail Elderly (FE) waiver. Like every state, Kansas Medicaid never pays for room and board, so a resident is still responsible for the rent and basic living costs. The waiver can cover supports such as personal care, help with daily activities, and certain health-related services delivered in the assisted living setting.
To qualify for the FE waiver, a person generally must:
- Be age 65 or older
- Meet KanCare's financial limits for income and assets
- Meet the functional (nursing-facility level of care) need determined by a state assessment
To apply, start by contacting your local Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC), which coordinates the level-of-care assessment, or apply for KanCare through the KanCare Clearinghouse. Waiver slots can be limited, so it is worth asking about wait times early.
Does Medicare cover assisted living in Kansas?
No. Medicare does not pay for assisted living room and board or for ongoing custodial care (help with bathing, dressing, meals, and supervision), which is the core of what assisted living provides. Medicare may still cover medically necessary items unrelated to your housing, such as doctor visits, hospital stays, short-term skilled nursing or rehab after a qualifying hospital stay, and some home health services.
For free, unbiased help understanding what Medicare does and does not cover, contact Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas (SHICK), the state's Medicare counseling program, at 1-800-860-5260.
