Does Kentucky Medicaid pay for assisted living?
Generally no. Kentucky Medicaid pays for nursing home care and some care at home, but the programs we found don't pay in assisted living.
Kentucky · checked September 2026
Senior care help in Kentucky
How Kentucky helps pay for long-term care, who to call when you need help or something's wrong, and how to check a facility before you sign.
The first question
Is there public help paying for assisted living in Kentucky?
Generally not through Medicaid. The Kentucky programs we found pay for nursing home care and care at home, not assisted living. Most families here pay privately for assisted living, or use VA benefits or long-term care insurance. See below for anything the state offers.
Paying for senior care in Kentucky
Kentucky's Medicaid rules for long-term care, and the programs that pay for care outside a nursing home.
Monthly income limit
$2,982
2026
Kentucky's nursing facility fact sheet (MAP-524, revised 8/25) lists $2,901 a month for 2025 and says people over the limit may become eligible by setting up a Qualifying Income Trust (QIT, also called a Miller trust). The 2026 figure is $2,982. Confirm with the state Medicaid office before relying on it.
Asset limit (single person)
$2,000
2025
$2,000 for one person in a nursing facility, $4,000 if both spouses are in care. When one spouse stays home, that spouse keeps between $32,532 and $162,660 (2026 federal figures). The home, household goods, one vehicle and a $1,500 burial reserve are not counted. The $2,000 limit is reported to be the same for 2026.
If income is over the limit
Kentucky uses a hard income cap. People over it can still qualify by putting the extra income into a Qualified Income Trust (a "Miller trust") each month.
Look-back on gifts and transfers: 60 months.
Apply for Kentucky Medicaid
Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Department for Medicaid Services (applications taken by the Department for Community Based Services, DCBS)
Home and Community Based (HCB) Waiver
Not for assisted livingMedicaid help at home for people 65+ or with a physical disability who need nursing home level care: adult day health, attendant care, home changes, home-delivered meals and respite. It does not pay for assisted living. Apply for Medicaid first, then for the waiver through kynect or the Aging and Disability Resource Center.
Waitlist: Yes. The state says there is currently a waiting list for HCB services. Place on the list is based on the date the application is received.
Participant Directed Services (PDS)
Not for assisted livingAn option inside the HCB waiver (and some others) that lets your parent hire their own helpers, including friends, neighbors and certain family members, instead of using an agency.
Waitlist: Sometimes. Available only to people already on a waiver such as HCB, which has its own waitlist.
State supplement to SSI
Kentucky's State Supplementation program pays a monthly cash benefit to low-income people 65+, blind or disabled who live in a personal care home (standard $1,610 a month from 1/1/2026) or family care home ($1,166). The payment is the standard minus the person's countable income, resources must be $2,000 or less, and people who get it are automatically eligible for Medicaid. It is for personal care homes, not assisted living communities.
PACE (all-inclusive care for 55+)
PACE provides all medical and long-term care for people 55+ who need nursing-home-level care but can live in the community. Programs in Kentucky:
- Bluegrass PACE Care, Lexington
- BoldAge PACE, Owensboro
- Care Guide Partners PACE, Elizabethtown
Who to call in Kentucky
Free, and on your side. Start with the aging office if you don't know where to begin.
Kentucky Department for Aging and Independent Living (DAIL)
Start hereThe state's aging office and its local agencies explain your options, screen for programs and help with applications.
Kentucky Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (state office hosted by the Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass)
A free, independent advocate for residents of long-term care facilities. Call about any problem with care, rights, billing or a discharge.
Report abuse, neglect or exploitation
Adult protective servicesYou don't need proof to report. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.
The state calls this its emergency abuse hotline. The online form is only monitored 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern, Monday to Friday, so call if it's urgent, and call 911 in an emergency.
Kentucky State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP)
Unbiased Medicare help from counselors who don't sell anything: plans, bills, appeals, and programs that lower costs.
Senior Medicare Patrol
Help spotting and reporting Medicare fraud, billing errors and scams.
How to check a Kentucky assisted living or nursing home
In Kentucky, assisted living is licensed as: Assisted Living Community (certified, not licensed) and Personal Care Home (licensed). Read inspection reports before you sign anything.
Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG), Division of Health Care
Look up any licensed community and read its inspection reports online.
File a complaint
Nursing homes
Medicare rates every nursing home on staffing, inspections and quality, with full inspection reports.
Kentucky veterans homes and benefits
State veterans homes are often far cheaper than private care for eligible veterans and, in many states, their spouses.
Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs (KDVA)
Robert E. Spiller Bowling Green Veterans Center
Bowling Green
skilled nursing
Free legal help and paperwork in Kentucky
Documents and forms
Kentucky help for caregivers and people with dementia
Can a family member be paid to provide care? Yes, in some programs.
Through Participant Directed Services on the HCB waiver, your parent can hire and pay certain family members, friends or neighbors as caregivers. The state page does not list which relatives qualify, so ask when applying.
National Family Caregiver Support Program
Flexible support for unpaid family caregivers of someone 60+ or someone with Alzheimer's or a related dementia, such as respite, counseling and training. Contact your local Area Agency on Aging and Independent Living.
Respite Connection
A free statewide online directory to find independent respite providers, searchable by location and services. Contact respitecare@ky.gov.
Homecare Program
State-funded in-home help for people 60+ who need help with daily tasks and are at risk of going into a facility: case management, personal care, meals, chores, home repair and respite for family caregivers. Run by the Area Agencies on Aging and Independent Living; some areas have waiting lists.
Kentucky Office of Dementia Services
A state office within DAIL that runs Dementia Friendly Kentucky, the state dementia plan and dementia caregiver support, and approves dementia training for home care agencies and assisted living communities. Email dementiaservices@ky.gov.
More help in Kentucky
State Supplementation for personal care homes
Monthly cash help for low-income people 65+ or disabled who live in a personal care home or family care home, which also makes them eligible for Medicaid. Apply through DCBS.
Kentucky senior care questions
What is the Medicaid asset limit in Kentucky?
$2,000 for a single person (2025). $2,000 for one person in a nursing facility, $4,000 if both spouses are in care. When one spouse stays home, that spouse keeps between $32,532 and $162,660 (2026 federal figures). The home, household goods, one vehicle and a $1,500 burial reserve are not counted. The $2,000 limit is reported to be the same for 2026.
Who do I call with a complaint about an assisted living or nursing home in Kentucky?
The Kentucky Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (state office hosted by the Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass): (800) 372-2991. It's free and independent.
National help that works in Kentucky too
Senior living in Kentucky cities
Senior care guides for other states
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Researched from 32 sources, official pages first. Last checked .