Kentucky Medicaid Income Limits and How to Apply

1What are Kentucky's Medicaid income limits by household size?

Adults ages 19 to 64 may qualify with countable income up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. (kynect, Kentucky Medicaid and KCHIP) Here is what that means in dollars, straight from Kentucky's 2026 Medicaid table.

Kentucky's chart notes that the Medicaid table was updated in March 2026 and is effective April 1, 2026 ongoing. (Kentucky CHFS, Federal Poverty Level Chart) Medicaid looks at income month to month, using income from the last 3 to 12 months to judge what is likely going forward. (Kentucky CHFS, MAGI Medicaid Fact Sheet)

Parents and caretaker relatives have their own, much lower Medicaid standard. If a parent is over it, Kentucky automatically checks them in the low-income adult group, which uses the 138 percent line above. (Kentucky CHFS, MAGI Medicaid Fact Sheet)

2What are the requirements for Kentucky Medicaid besides income?

You live in Kentucky. Kentucky Medicaid and KCHIP provide coverage for eligible low-income residents. (kynect, Kentucky Medicaid and KCHIP)

You fit a coverage group. The MAGI groups are children younger than 19, pregnant women, parents and caretaker relatives, adults 19 to 64, and former foster care youth 19 to 26 who do not get Medicaid another way. (Kentucky CHFS, Medicaid Enrollment) People who are 65 or older, blind, or disabled are checked under separate non-MAGI rules (step 4). (Kentucky CHFS, MAGI Medicaid Fact Sheet)

Citizenship or a qualifying immigration status. Starting October 1, 2026, federal law limits which lawfully present immigrants can get Medicaid. Kentucky lists these groups as still able to get or keep Medicaid: lawful permanent residents after a five-year waiting period (unless exempt), Cuban-Haitian entrants, Compacts of Free Association entrants, and lawfully present children or pregnant women regardless of immigration status. Time-limited emergency Medicaid still covers life-threatening conditions regardless of immigration status for Kentucky residents who meet the income rules. (Kentucky CHFS, Changes Coming to Medicaid)

No asset test for most people. DMS says resources only apply to the aged, blind, or disabled population. (Kentucky CHFS, Medicaid Enrollment)

A Social Security number on the state application. DMS lists it among the items applicants are asked to provide. (Kentucky CHFS, Medicaid Enrollment)

3What are the limits for children, KCHIP, and pregnancy?

Children under age 1 may qualify for Medicaid up to 200 percent of poverty, and children ages 1 to 18 up to 147 percent. Pregnant women may qualify up to 200 percent. Children, pregnant women, and women through 12 months postpartum whose income is too high for Medicaid may qualify for KCHIP if they are uninsured, up to 218 percent. (kynect, Kentucky Medicaid and KCHIP)

Kentucky's chart labels the 200 to 218 percent band as coverage for children and pregnant women who are uninsured, and notes that the five-year bar does not apply to lawfully present children or pregnant immigrants. (Kentucky CHFS, Federal Poverty Level Chart) DMS describes KCHIP as free or low-cost health insurance for eligible children up to age 19. (Kentucky CHFS, Member Information)

Pregnant women who qualify also get 12 months of postpartum coverage. (Kentucky CHFS, MAGI Medicaid Fact Sheet) If you are pregnant and have not applied yet, Presumptive Eligibility can give you temporary coverage for prenatal care, and your provider can arrange it during an office visit. (Kentucky CHFS, Pregnant Women)

4What about seniors and people with disabilities?

People who are blind, disabled, or 65 and older do not use the MAGI income rules above. Kentucky's non-MAGI groups include people getting Supplemental Security Income (SSI), people 65 and older at or below 100 percent of the federal poverty level, medically needy individuals, and people eligible for the Medicare Savings Program. (Kentucky CHFS, MAGI Medicaid Fact Sheet) On Kentucky's 2026 chart, 100 percent of poverty is $1,330 a month for one person and $1,804 for two. (Kentucky CHFS, Federal Poverty Level Chart) These groups also have a resource limit. (Kentucky CHFS, Medicaid Enrollment)

Income a bit too high? Kentucky's Spenddown Program gives time-limited coverage when qualifying medical expenses offset the income above the limit. Eligibility is figured by the quarter. (Kentucky CHFS, Medicaid Enrollment)

Medicare Savings Program. If you have Medicare Part A, Kentucky Medicaid may help pay Medicare premiums, deductibles, or coinsurance. DMS's screening questions use monthly income under $1,796 for an individual or $2,435 for a couple (the first $20 does not count) and resources of $9,950 or less for an individual or $14,910 for a couple. (Kentucky CHFS, Medicare Savings Program)

For more, see Kentucky Medicare Savings Program limits.

Working with a disability. Medicaid Works helps people with disabilities work while keeping Medicaid eligibility. (Kentucky CHFS, Special Programs) For a checklist of other programs people over 60 often miss, see The Senior Money Checklist.

5Will Kentucky Medicaid have work requirements in 2027?

Yes, for some adults. Starting January 1, 2027, adults ages 19 to 64 who are enrolled in Medicaid based only on their income, the Medicaid Expansion group, must meet a work or community engagement requirement to apply for or keep coverage. It comes from a federal law passed in July 2025. (Kentucky CHFS, Medicaid Work and Community Engagement)

What counts. At least 80 hours a month of work, job training or a work program, volunteering or community service, or part-time school, in any combination. Going to school at least half-time also counts, as does earning $580 a month (or an average of $580 over the last 6 months for seasonal work). (Kentucky CHFS, Medicaid Work and Community Engagement)

When it is checked. New applicants on or after January 1, 2027 must show the requirement was met in the month before they apply. Current members must show it for at least three of the six months before their 2027 renewal. Kentucky's example: a February 2027 renewal looks at August 2026 to February 2027. (Kentucky CHFS, Medicaid Work and Community Engagement)

Who is exempt. Kentucky's list includes people 18 or younger or 65 or older, former foster youth up to 26, members of a federally recognized tribe, parents or caregivers of a child 13 or younger or of a person with a disability, veterans with a total disability rating, people getting SSI, or SSDI or Social Security retirement due to disability, people on Medicare Part A or B, people who are medically frail, people meeting TANF or SNAP work rules, people in mental health or substance use treatment, people in a public institution now or incarcerated in the past three months, and people who are pregnant or within 12 months postpartum. Short-term hardship exceptions also exist. (Kentucky CHFS, Medicaid Work and Community Engagement)

If you do not meet the rule or an exemption, you get a noncompliance notice and 30 days to respond, and current members keep coverage during those 30 days. You can appeal any eligibility decision. (Kentucky CHFS, Medicaid Work and Community Engagement)

6Can you apply for Kentucky Medicaid by phone?

Yes. Call the Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) at (855) 306-8959 to apply with a caseworker. (kynect, Kentucky Medicaid and KCHIP) (Kentucky CHFS, How to Apply for Medicaid) DMS also lists kynect at (855) 459-6328. (Kentucky CHFS, Medicaid Enrollment)

Kentucky lists DCBS hours as Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, and kynect hours as Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET. (Kentucky CHFS, Medicaid Work and Community Engagement) For help with a KCHIP application, KCHIP lists (844) 407-8398. (KCHIP, How Do I Apply?)

If you cannot get to an office, DMS says you may call the DCBS office in your county to make other arrangements. (Kentucky CHFS, Medicaid Enrollment)

7How do you apply for Kentucky Medicaid yourself?

DCBS handles Medicaid applications for the Department for Medicaid Services. (Kentucky CHFS, How to Apply for Medicaid) Here is the order that works.

1. Gather your documents. Use the list in step 8.
2. Pick how to apply. Online at kynect, by phone with DCBS at (855) 306-8959, in person at a local DCBS office, or on the printed application (MAP-205), mailed to the Office of the Kentucky Health Benefit Exchange, 12 Mill Creek Park, Frankfort, KY 40601, faxed to (502) 573-2005, or delivered to your local DCBS office. (Kentucky CHFS, Medicaid Enrollment) (kynect, Kentucky Medicaid and KCHIP)
3. Answer the household and money questions. You will be asked about the people who live with you, earned income from a job or self-employment, unearned income such as Social Security or pensions, and any resources. (Kentucky CHFS, How to Apply for Medicaid)
4. Get free help if you want it. You can fill out the application yourself or with a kynector. (Kentucky CHFS, How to Apply for Medicaid) Kentucky says trained and certified assisters offer free assistance near where you work and live. (Kentucky CHFS, Medicaid Renewals)
5. Submit, then watch your mail, email, and texts. Respond quickly to any request from Kentucky Medicaid. (Kentucky CHFS, Changes Coming to Medicaid)
6. If approved, pick a health plan. Kentucky Medicaid lists five managed care organizations: Aetna Better Health of Kentucky, Humana Healthy Horizons of Kentucky, Passport Health Plan by Molina, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, and WellCare of Kentucky. (Kentucky CHFS, Department for Medicaid Services)

Kentucky Medicaid says you will not be asked for payment to enroll or re-enroll in Medicaid or KCHIP, ever, and it will not ask for banking information or credit card numbers. (Kentucky CHFS, Medicaid Renewals)

If someone else will apply for you, DMS requires the MAP-14 Interested Party Authorization Form. (Kentucky CHFS, Medicaid Enrollment) An authorized representative can be a family member, friend, provider, or attorney. (kynect, Kentucky Medicaid and KCHIP) For what happens after you hit submit, see What Actually Happens When You Apply for Benefits.

You submit your application yourself on the official site. Benefit Bull is free and never files for you.

8What documents should you have ready?

DMS lists what applicants are asked to provide: (Kentucky CHFS, Medicaid Enrollment)

• Social Security number
• Proof of identity, such as a driver's license
• Proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate
• Health insurance information
• If you are pregnant, a doctor's statement verifying the pregnancy and expected delivery date
• Income

For KCHIP, the program asks for pay stubs for the last two months or a signed letter from your employer, your last tax return if you are self-employed, award letters for unearned income such as Social Security or child support, receipts for child care costs, and health insurance details for anyone covered. (KCHIP, How Do I Apply?) Resources only count for people who are aged, blind, or disabled. (Kentucky CHFS, Medicaid Enrollment) For them, the application asks about resources such as bank accounts, trusts, vehicles, or life insurance policies. (Kentucky CHFS, How to Apply for Medicaid)

DMS says having the required information available at the time of application will likely speed up processing. (Kentucky CHFS, Medicaid Enrollment)

9How does renewal work?

Medicaid coverage is renewed every 12 months. (Kentucky CHFS, How to Apply for Medicaid) Kentucky says you are notified when your renewal date is about 60 days away, and you can also find the date in kynect. If you missed your due date and are still eligible, coverage can be reinstated. (Kentucky CHFS, Medicaid Renewals)

Starting January 1, 2027, adults 19 to 64 who qualify based only on income will renew every six months. If you enroll on or after that date, you renew every six months. If you were enrolled before it, you keep your 2027 renewal month and then move to six-month renewals. Everyone else stays on yearly renewal. (Kentucky CHFS, Changes Coming to Medicaid)

KCHIP sends a renewal form in the mail every year. If the completed form is not received within 30 days after the date on your notice, your child's KCHIP coverage stops. (KCHIP, How Do I Apply?)

Keep your address, phone, and email current in kynect or by calling (855) 459-6328, and report household changes such as a pregnancy, someone moving in or out, or an income change. If you no longer qualify for Medicaid, losing coverage lets you enroll in a kynect health plan outside open enrollment, with payment help for those who qualify. (Kentucky CHFS, Medicaid Renewals)

For more on renewing, see our Medicaid renewal guide.