Guides → Kansas

Getting paid to care for a parent in Kansas

Updated 2026-08-10 · Every figure below is dated and sourced · Rules change — confirm with the agency
The short answer: Kansas's door is Self-Direction (self-directed Attendant Care Services) under the KanCare HCBS Frail Elderly (FE) waiver — for a parent 65+; the Physical Disability (PD) waiver (ages 16-64) calls the equivalent self-directed service Personal Care Services, run by Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS), with KanCare (Kansas Medicaid) delivered through three managed care plans (Aetna Better Health, Sunflower Health Plan, UnitedHealthcare). Pay: Medicaid reimburses self-directed personal care (code S5125 UD) at $4.08 per 15 minutes = $16.32/hr on the FE waiver, effective July 1, 2024 (SFY2025) and unchanged in the July 1, 2025 (SFY2026) rate bulletin; PD-waiver self-directed personal care runs at a similar $4.10/15 min (~$16.40/hr). Important: that is the rate paid to the Financial Management Services (FMS) provider — the caregiver's actual wage is set within it after employer payroll taxes and FMS costs, so real take-home is typically roughly $13-15/hr (one program-guide site cites an average of $14.29/hr, uncorroborated). Ask the MCO care coordinator for the current authorized wage.

One or more details on this page could not be fully confirmed against official sources at publish time — confirm specifics with the agency below.

Who can be the paid caregiver

Adult children, siblings, other relatives, and friends can be hired as the self-directed paid caregiver, including relatives who live in the home. Two hard disqualifiers per KDADS: the care recipient's spouse, and anyone who is the person's court-appointed guardian/conservator or holds their power of attorney, cannot be the paid worker.

The spouse question

No — Kansas does not allow a spouse to be the paid caregiver under the FE waiver (KDADS states spouses and court-appointed representatives cannot be paid). If a spouse must be paid, the realistic doors are VA programs (Veteran-Directed Care or PCAFC for eligible veterans) or a private-pay care agreement — not KanCare.

Waitlist reality

Honest answer: both main doors are now waitlisted. The Frail Elderly waiver started a waitlist effective July 6, 2026 (first time in years) — people assessed on or after that date wait for a funded slot, with a crisis-exception policy for urgent cases; people approved before July 6, 2026 were grandfathered. The Physical Disability waiver has an ongoing waiting list where offers depend on released funding, not your list number. Get on the list anyway — and ask the ADRC about the crisis exception if the situation is unsafe.

Worth knowing: 2026: roughly $2,982/mo income limit and $2,000 asset limit for an individual (300% of the 2026 SSI federal benefit rate), with a 60-month look-back

Other doors in Kansas

ProgramWhat to know
Senior Care Act program (non-Medicaid)State-funded in-home help for Kansans 60+ who don't qualify for Medicaid, run by the 11 Area Agencies on Aging with sliding-scale cost share (free under ~100% FPL and <$10,000 assets); certain family members can be paid to provide the care, though spouses generally cannot. Apply via your local AAA or 1-855-200-2372.
Veteran-Directed Care (VDC)If your parent is a veteran enrolled in VA health care, VDC gives a monthly budget to hire family — including spouses. Program-guide sites list it via the Robert J. Dole VA (Wichita) and VA Eastern Kansas (Topeka/Leavenworth), but facility-level availability was not confirmed on an official page — ask the VA social worker or call the VA facility directly.
VA caregiver benefits (PCAFC and Aid & Attendance)PCAFC pays a monthly stipend to the primary family caregiver of qualifying veterans (70%+ service-connected); Aid & Attendance adds pension money that can pay any caregiver, family included. Contact the Wichita or Eastern Kansas VA caregiver support coordinator.
Structured family caregivingKansas does NOT have a structured family caregiving / adult foster care per-diem model in its Medicaid program — payment to family runs through hourly self-directed personal care only.

Wartime veteran or surviving spouse in the family? VA Aid & Attendance stacks on top of state programs — see the national guide.

How to apply — step by step

  1. Call the Kansas Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) at 1-855-200-2372 — this is the single front door for the FE and PD waivers. Ask for options counseling and a functional (nursing-facility level of care) assessment for your parent.
  2. Apply for KanCare (Medicaid) financial eligibility through the KanCare Clearinghouse at 1-800-792-4884 or online at applyforkancare.ks.gov — the waiver requires both medical and financial eligibility.
  3. After the assessment, if a waitlist applies you'll be placed on it; when a slot opens you get an offer letter by mail and must return it within 15 days. Ask about the crisis exception if your parent's situation is urgent.
  4. Once enrolled, tell the MCO care coordinator you choose SELF-DIRECTION for personal care services, and pick a Financial Management Services (FMS) provider from the KDADS list — the FMS runs payroll, taxes, and background checks.
  5. Hire your family member as the attendant: they complete the FMS employment packet and background check, then log hours through Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) and are paid by the FMS.

Where to start: Kansas Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC), 1-855-200-2372 (kdads.ks.gov); for the Medicaid application itself, KanCare Clearinghouse, 1-800-792-4884

Do it yourself vs. get help

Free, accredited help first, always: your Area Agency on Aging (eldercare.acl.gov) walks families through these applications at no charge, and your county Veterans Service Officer files VA claims free. Where Resbit fits: if you're working a job and don't have hours for hold music, Resbit finds what your family qualifies for, fills out the paperwork down to the signature line, and does the chasing — flat $49/month, and the screener that starts it is free.

Find out what your family qualifies for

Free · 10 questions · No account needed · Honest when the answer is "not yet"

Try the free screener Join the waitlist
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
You're on the list. 🌿
Sources & dates checked: Program rules and payment rates change. Everything here is educational — real eligibility is decided by the agencies, based on your family's details.