Kentucky Medicaid Long-Term Care

Quick answer: Kentucky Medicaid covers long-term care through nursing facilities, 1915(c) home- and community-based waivers, PACE and Kentucky Transitions. The 2026 special income standard is $2,982 a month; above that, a Qualifying Income Trust (Miller trust) is the route.

Kentucky Medicaid's Division of Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) is the office responsible for coordinating continuing-care options for people whose needs stem from age, a medical condition, or a disability. The state's published menu is broad: nursing facilities, 1915(c) home- and community-based waivers, PACE for qualifying people 55 and older who need a nursing-facility level of care, and Kentucky Transitions for people moving out of institutional settings.

That range matters because Kentucky doesn't fold everything into one generic "nursing-home Medicaid" benefit. The state describes nursing facilities as serving people who need facility-based skilled nursing care or rehabilitation, while the various waiver programs are built for people with disabilities who need that same nursing-facility level of care but want to stay at home or in the community instead.

For anyone on the institutional or waiver track, Kentucky applies a special income standard of $2,982 a month in 2026. Someone above that standard can look to a Qualifying Income Trust, commonly known as a Miller trust, though it has to be established and funded according to Kentucky's specific rules rather than treated as an informal spend-down mechanism.