Benefits for seniors in Kansas

Medicaid for people 65 and over

KanCare is run by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). It gives health coverage and long-term care to people 65 and over and people with disabilities.

• Who qualifies: You must be 65 or older, blind, or disabled, and live in Kansas. Your countable income must be at or under $994 a month for one person, or $1,491 for a couple. Your countable assets must be under $2,000 for one person, or $3,000 for a couple.
• Spenddown: If your income is over the limit, you can still get KanCare. The amount over the limit works like a deductible. Once your medical bills reach that amount, KanCare pays the rest.
• If you get SSI: You are not signed up for KanCare automatically. You must apply for it separately.
• What it covers: KanCare works alongside Medicare. It covers some things Medicare does not, such as nursing home and other long-term care. It can also help with Medicare Part D drug costs.

Long-term care. KanCare can pay for nursing home care, or for care at home through Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) or PACE. Your income can be up to $2,982 a month, and your assets must be under $2,000. In a nursing home, you keep $62 a month for personal needs, and most of the rest of your income goes toward your care. If you get care at home, you can keep up to $2,982 a month to live on. If your spouse stays at home, they can keep between $32,532 and $162,660 in assets, and may get part of your income so they have at least $2,705 a month (up to $4,066.50). Home equity over $752,000 can make you ineligible for long-term care.

Estate recovery. Kansas has a Medicaid estate recovery program, which can seek repayment from a member's estate after death. Questions go to the state's estate recovery contractor, HMS, at 1-800-817-8617.

Help paying Medicare costs

The Medicare Savings Programs pay some or all of your Medicare costs. The standard federal limits apply in Kansas. (Kansas's own chart shows amounts $20 lower because it takes off the $20 of income that is not counted first.)

• QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary): Pays your Part A and Part B premiums, deductibles, and copays. Income up to $1,350 a month for one person, or $1,824 for a couple.
• LMB (Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary, called SLMB in other states): Pays your Part B premium. Income up to $1,616 a month for one person, or $2,184 for a couple.
• ELMB (Expanded Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary, called QI in other states): Pays your Part B premium. Income up to $1,816 a month for one person, or $2,455 for a couple.
• Assets: Up to $9,950 for one person, or $14,910 for a couple.

Some income is not counted, so apply even if you are a little over. If you get any of these programs, you also get Extra Help with drug costs automatically. Apply through the KanCare Clearinghouse.

Prescription drug help

We could not find a Kansas state program that helps seniors pay for prescriptions. The main help is federal Extra Help, which lowers Medicare Part D costs. SHICK counselors can help you compare drug plans for free.

Extra state payment with SSI

Kansas does not add a state payment to SSI for people who live in their own home or someone else's home. If you live at home, you get only the federal SSI amount of up to $994 a month for one person, or $1,491 for a couple. Social Security lists a small state-run Kansas supplement, which in past state policy was paid only to some SSI recipients living in Medicaid-approved care facilities.

Food help

In Kansas, SNAP is called Food Assistance. The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) runs it.

• Assets: Most homes can have up to $3,000 in countable assets. If someone in your home is 60 or older or disabled, the limit is $4,750. Your home does not count.
• Medical costs: If someone in your home is 60 or older or disabled, unpaid medical costs over $35 a month can be taken off your income.
• Housing costs: Homes with an older or disabled member can count all housing costs above half of their income.
• Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program: If you are 60 or older (or 55 or older and a member of a tribal organization) and your income is under the limit, you can get a market card for fresh produce, herbs, and honey from approved farmers. For July 2026 to June 2027, the limit is $2,461 a month for one person, or $3,337 for two. Benefits are handed out June 1 to September 30, first come, first served, so the 2026 season is over. To get on the list for next year, contact your local distribution agency or call the KSFMNP team at 785-296-4782.

To apply for Food Assistance, go to dcf.ks.gov and choose "Apply for Services," or call DCF at 1-888-369-4777.

Help staying at home

• Frail Elderly (FE) waiver: KanCare care at home for people 65 and older who need nursing-home-level care. Services can include attendant care, adult day care, medication reminders, personal emergency response, nursing visits, home telehealth, and assistive technology. There is a waiting list. Since July 6, 2026, new applicants are placed on it in the order they were assessed. People in a crisis, people leaving a nursing home, and some others can ask to skip it. Start by calling the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC).
• PACE: The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly serves people 55 and older who need nursing-home-level care and can live safely at home with PACE support. It is offered in 23 Kansas counties. It covers all needed medical and long-term care through one team, using Medicare and Medicaid. To apply, contact your local PACE organization. For general questions, call 785-268-3600.

Property tax and housing help

The Kansas Department of Revenue runs three refund programs. You file for one claim year at a time, and the free state software picks the largest refund for you. For the 2025 claim year:

• SAFESR (Property Tax Relief for Low Income Seniors): If you were 65 or older for all of 2025, owned and lived in your Kansas home, and your household income was $25,380 or less, you can get back 75% of the property tax you paid on time.
• Homestead Refund: For homeowners 55 or older (or blind, disabled, or certain veterans and others) with household income of $43,389 or less. The refund can be up to $700.
• Property Tax Relief for Seniors and Disabled Veterans (K-40SVR): Freezes your homestead tax at the level of a "base year." It refunds the increase since then. Household income must be $58,041 or less, and you must be 65 or older (or a disabled veteran) for the whole base year.

For all three, your home must be worth $350,000 or less. Returning filers can use the free Homestead WebFile at kansas.gov/ssrv-homestead. For sign-in help, call 785-368-8222.

Help with energy bills

The Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) gives a one-time payment each year to help with winter heating costs, for any type of heating fuel.

• Who qualifies: An adult at the address pays the heating costs, and household income is at or below 150% of the poverty level. The latest chart on the DCF website shows $1,995 a month for one person, or $2,705 for two.
• When to apply: The 2026 season (January 20 to March 31, 2026) is over. DCF will post the next season's dates when they are set. It usually opens in winter.
• How to apply: Online at dcf.ks.gov ("Apply for Services") or at a DCF in-person application event. For LIEAP questions, call 1-833-765-2003.
• Cold Weather Rule: In winter, this rule helps you keep your electric and gas service if you make a payment plan with your utility. It covers companies regulated by the Kansas Corporation Commission. Call the commission at 1-800-662-0027.

Free help and counseling

• SHICK (Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas): Kansas's free, unbiased Medicare counseling program, run by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS). Trained counselors help with Medicare, Medigap, drug plans, and help paying costs. Call 1-800-860-5260.
• Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC): One number for long-term care help, including the Frail Elderly waiver. Call 1-855-200-2372 (1-855-200-ADRC), Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can leave a message after hours.
• Area Agencies on Aging: Kansas has 11 local agencies that run meals, in-home help, and other services for older adults. To find yours, call the ADRC or KDADS.
• KDADS (Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services): The state aging department. Call 785-296-8288.

How to apply

Check what you may qualify for