Kentucky Medicaid income limits depend on which category you fall into. Most adults ages 19 to 64 qualify with household income at or below 138% of the Federal Poverty Level, which comes out to about $22,025 a year for a single person in 2026. Children, pregnant women, and people who are 65 or older, blind, or disabled follow different thresholds, and some of those groups also face an asset test that the adult category doesn’t have.1kynect benefits. Kentucky Medicaid and KCHIP
Adults Ages 19 to 64
If you’re a working-age adult who isn’t pregnant, Kentucky’s low-income adult category is the one that applies to you. The ceiling is 138% of the Federal Poverty Level. That figure is actually 133% plus an automatic 5% income disregard the system applies when your income lands between 133% and 138%.1kynect benefits. Kentucky Medicaid and KCHIP You don’t have to do that math yourself. The application handles it.
There is no asset or resource test for this group. Kentucky looks at your income only. Your savings balance, your car, your other property — none of that counts against you here. That’s different from the rules for older adults and people with disabilities, covered further down.
2026 Dollar Amounts at 138% FPL
Here are the 2026 annual income limits for the adult expansion group:2U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines
- 1 person: $22,025
- 2 people: $29,863
- 3 people: $37,702
- 4 people: $45,540
Each additional person in the household adds roughly $5,680 to the base poverty figure, and the 138% multiplier applies on top of that.
Income Limits for Children
Children’s thresholds are higher than the adult limit, and they vary by age:
- Infants under age 1: household income up to 200% of the FPL
- Children ages 1 to 18: household income up to 147% of the FPL
If your child’s household income is too high for regular Medicaid but at or below 218% of the FPL, the Kentucky Children’s Health Insurance Program (KCHIP) picks up where Medicaid leaves off. KCHIP covers uninsured children and provides benefits similar to Medicaid.1kynect benefits. Kentucky Medicaid and KCHIP The child has to be uninsured, so access to employer coverage affects eligibility.
Newborns get special treatment. A baby born to a mother who was covered by Medicaid at the time of delivery is automatically deemed eligible for Medicaid for the first year of life, no matter what happens to household income afterward.3Cabinet for Health and Family Services. MAGI Medicaid, APTC/CSR and QHP
For reference, 200% of FPL for a family of four in 2026 is $66,000. KCHIP’s 218% ceiling pushes that same family-of-four limit to roughly $71,940.
Income Limits for Pregnant Women
If you’re pregnant, you qualify for Kentucky Medicaid with household income up to 200% of the FPL (195% before the 5% disregard). Coverage begins the date your pregnancy is verified and continues through 60 days after the pregnancy ends.3Cabinet for Health and Family Services. MAGI Medicaid, APTC/CSR and QHP
If your income falls between 200% and 218% of the FPL, you may still get pregnancy-related coverage, funded through KCHIP rather than traditional Medicaid.1kynect benefits. Kentucky Medicaid and KCHIP Kentucky also offers presumptive eligibility for pregnant women, which gives you temporary coverage while the full application is being processed so prenatal care can start right away.
Rules for Older Adults and People With Disabilities
If you’re 65 or older, blind, or have a qualifying disability, the rules change. These groups don’t use the straight income-only approach that applies to working-age adults and children.
If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you automatically qualify for Kentucky Medicaid without a separate application. The SSI eligibility determination doubles as your Medicaid determination.4HealthCare.gov. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Disability and Medicaid Coverage
If you don’t receive SSI but you’re aged, blind, or disabled, Kentucky applies both an income test and a resource test. The resource limit is $2,000 for an individual. Unlike the MAGI-based groups, the state counts assets like bank accounts and investments, though your primary home and one vehicle are generally exempt.5Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Medicaid Enrollment
People with disabilities who are working can sometimes keep Medicaid coverage even when their earnings push them above the usual SSI income limit. This pathway exists so that keeping a job doesn’t cost you the healthcare that makes working possible.6Social Security Administration. Medicaid Information
If You’re Just Over the Limit: Spenddown
Kentucky operates a medically needy spenddown program for people whose income is too high for regular Medicaid but who have substantial medical expenses. You can use those medical bills to offset your excess income. Once your countable medical costs bring your effective income down to the eligibility threshold, Medicaid covers you for the rest of that eligibility period.5Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Medicaid Enrollment Spenddown matters most for people in the aged, blind, and disabled categories who sit just over the income line but face large healthcare costs.
How Kentucky Counts Your Income
For most applicants, Kentucky uses the Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) method. MAGI starts with your taxable income and subtracts specific deductions like student loan interest, educator expenses, and alimony payments from divorce agreements finalized before 2019.3Cabinet for Health and Family Services. MAGI Medicaid, APTC/CSR and QHP If you’ve filed a tax return, you’ve already done most of the work.
The income counted includes wages, self-employment earnings, Social Security benefits, unemployment compensation, pensions, and investment income. Household size matters, because larger households get higher dollar thresholds at the same FPL percentage. Kentucky treats everyone who files taxes together, or who is claimed as a dependent, as part of the household for MAGI purposes.
MAGI applies to children, pregnant women, parents and caretaker relatives, and the low-income adult expansion group. It does not apply to the aged, blind, and disabled categories, which use older income-counting rules that factor in assets and may allow different deductions.
You Also Have to Meet Non-Financial Requirements
Income is the main hurdle, but it isn’t the only one. You need to be a Kentucky resident with the intent to stay in the state. You must be a U.S. citizen or hold an eligible immigration status. And each household member applying for coverage needs a Social Security Number. These requirements are standard across Medicaid programs nationally and are established under Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 205.
Where to Apply
Kentucky processes all Medicaid applications through its kynect system. You can apply online at kynect benefits, by phone at 1-855-306-8959, in person at a Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) office, or by mail using a downloadable form.1kynect benefits. Kentucky Medicaid and KCHIP Have proof of income, Kentucky residency, and citizenship or immigration status ready before you start.