Kansas caregiver programs can pay family members to provide care through HCBS waiver self-direction, but who may be paid differs by waiver and service. Respite help, VA caregiver benefits, and tax rules sit alongside it.

If you are caring for an aging parent, a spouse, or an adult child with a disability in Kansas, the hard part is rarely whether help exists. It is knowing what is there and where to start. This guide maps every major caregiver program in the state for 2026.

You don't have to figure this out alone, and you don't have to fund all of it from your savings.

Kansas Caregiver Programs at a Glance

Program What It Offers Who Qualifies Cost to You
FE Waiver self-directed Personal Care Services (formerly Attendant Care) A family member can be the paid attendant; a spouse only by MCO exception Age 65+, Medicaid nursing facility threshold score, financially eligible for Medicaid Medicaid waiver service
PD Waiver self-directed PCS/ECS Self-directed PCS, ECS and FMS; family members can be reimbursed for PCS Ages 16 to 64, nursing facility criteria, disabled by Social Security standards, Medicaid-eligible; waiting list Medicaid waiver service
NFCSP Information, help accessing services, counseling, support groups, training, respite, limited supplemental services Caregivers of people 60+ or with Alzheimer's; respite needs the person cared for to be frail Ask your area agency on aging
VA PCAFC Monthly stipend VA has called nontaxable; a spouse can be the caregiver Four VA requirements (70%+ rating, discharge, 6+ months of in-person care, VA health care) plus VA's application review VA benefit
VA Aid and Attendance Pension up to $29,093/yr to a single veteran, less income for VA purposes Veteran or survivor who qualifies for VA pension; net worth limit $163,699 Free to apply (VSO help)

In This Guide

Who Can Get Paid to Provide Care in Kansas?

If you have already left a job, or cut your hours, to care for someone at home, being paid for that work is not a loophole. It is what these programs are designed to do.

Kansas HCBS waivers are programs of the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS). KDADS offers self-direction in its Frail Elderly, Intellectual/Developmental Disability, Physical Disability, Brain Injury and Technology Assisted programs. The participant chooses, trains, monitors, and dismisses their own worker, while a Financial Management Services (FMS) provider handles payroll and makes sure taxes are taken out correctly. For the PD waiver, KDADS says your chosen MCO will contact you to complete an assessment and begin your authorized services.

The two waivers covering most older adults and people with physical disabilities split by age. The Frail Elderly (FE) waiver requires being 65, meeting the Medicaid nursing facility threshold score, and being financially eligible for Medicaid. The Physical Disability (PD) waiver serves people 16 to 64 who meet nursing facility criteria due to a physical disability, are disabled by Social Security standards, and are Medicaid eligible. A Kansan 65 or older applies to FE, not PD. A PD applicant who meets functional eligibility goes on a waiting list, and offers depend on when funds are released.

Who can be paid differs by waiver and service. KDADS's FE page names Attendant Care Services as the only self-directed FE service, and says you can choose a family member to provide it, but not a spouse or a person appointed by you or the court to represent you (Acting on Behalf, Activated Durable Power of Attorney, or Guardian/Conservator). That page is not the whole rule. KDADS's participant-directed services manual says "A spousal exception must be submitted to the MCO and receive written approval prior to a spouse being authorized to provide supports." The approved FE waiver posted by KDADS (KS.0303.R06.01, approved effective July 1, 2026) says "Personal Care Services may be used to pay spouses of enrollees," and that spouses must meet the provider qualifications for the service. The needs assessment is used to determine whether extraordinary care is required and may be provided by a spouse, and a married enrollee's choice of a spouse as care provider must be documented in the Person-Centered Service Plan. The same waiver says the plan must state that a relative is the best available appropriate PCS worker, and that all PCS workers, spouses included, must use the electronic visit verification (EVV) system for hours paid. It says a court-appointed guardian may be paid only if the probate court determines all potential conflict-of-interest concerns have been mitigated under K.S.A. 59-3068, and an activated durable power of attorney only if a Designated Representative is appointed to direct the individual's care. KDADS's PCS policy effective October 1, 2026 replaces the name Attendant Care Services with Personal Care Services (PCS), and limits PCS to the assessed level of need, up to 12 hours in a 24-hour day, unless the MCO authorizes more. The approved PD waiver sets the same guardian and activated durable power of attorney tests as the FE waiver.,

On the PD waiver, family members can be reimbursed for self-directed Personal Care Services (PCS). The approved PD waiver says Kansas does not prevent relatives who are not legally responsible for the participant, such as an adult child, from providing PCS and ECS, and that Personal Care Services may be used to pay spouses of enrollees when the needs assessment finds extraordinary care is required. Kansas's PD provider manual (updated April 2022) says Enhanced Care Services (ECS) cannot be provided by a spouse, the parent of a minor child, or anyone living in the home with the participant, and lists three grounds for an exception: the participant lives in a rural area where access to a provider is beyond a 50-mile radius and the relative is the only provider available; the participant lives alone with a severe cognitive impairment, physical disability, or intellectual disability; or the participant has exhausted other MCO support options and faces significant risk of institutionalization without ECS. The approved PD waiver (effective July 1, 2026) states the rule more narrowly. Someone living in the home can provide ECS only if they are a legally responsible person and the MCO has granted an exception, and the MCO may grant it in two circumstances: the participant lives alone and has a severe cognitive impairment and/or physical disability, or has exhausted other MCO support options and would be at significant risk of institutionalization without ECS. The rural 50-mile ground is not on the waiver's list. Ask the MCO which test it applies. KDADS's PCS policy effective October 1, 2026 says PCS can be authorized while a participant lives in an assisted living facility, but the participant cannot self-direct PCS there.

For the full guide to paid pathways, see: How to Get Paid as a Family Caregiver in Kansas.

How to Apply for Kansas Caregiver Programs

1
Step 1

Call the Kansas ADRC to start

For information and referrals, Kansas directs families to the Kansas Aging and Disability Resource Center at 1-855-200-2372.

2
Step 2

Apply for Medicaid and the waiver

To reach self-directed pay, the person you care for must qualify for Medicaid and for the FE waiver (age 65, the Medicaid nursing facility threshold score) or the PD waiver (ages 16 to 64, nursing facility criteria due to a physical disability). PD applicants who meet functional eligibility are placed on a waiting list.

3
Step 3

Set up self-direction with an FMS provider

Once services are authorized, ask your MCO care coordinator about self-directing Personal Care Services (FE; formerly called Attendant Care) or PCS and ECS (PD). An FMS provider then handles payroll and makes sure taxes are taken out correctly for the worker you hire.,

4
Step 4

If the person is a veteran, open the VA track in parallel

A Kansas Office of Veterans Services representative can help file a VA pension claim, including the non-service-connected pension that Aid and Attendance is paid as part of, at no charge, and that track can run alongside a KanCare program.

Respite Care Programs in Kansas

The National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP), funded by Title III-E of the Older Americans Act, makes grants to states, and its services are provided by an area agency on aging or an entity it contracts with. They include information about available services, help gaining access to them, individual counseling, support groups and caregiver training, respite care, and limited supplemental services. Eligible caregivers include adult family members or other informal caregivers of people 60 and older, and of people of any age with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.

Respite and supplemental services carry an extra condition: the person cared for must be frail. That means unable to perform at least two activities of daily living without substantial help, or needing substantial supervision because a cognitive or other mental impairment makes their behavior a serious health or safety hazard. For information and referrals, call the Kansas Aging and Disability Resource Center at 1-855-200-2372.,

Families can also self-direct in-home respite by locating, hiring, and training their own respite providers. KDADS says self-directed respite can be paid for privately or through Kansas Medicaid waivers as applicable, so waiver payment is not automatic. Individual respite workers can also be requested from FMS agencies serving waiver families, social service organizations, home health agencies, and homemaker service agencies. For the full respite guide, see: Respite Care in Kansas.

VA Caregiver Benefits in Kansas

If the person you care for served, this door is worth checking before you assume Medicaid is the only path. Veterans enrolled in VA health care have access to caregiver support programs that are separate from Medicaid, and under PCAFC a spouse can be the paid caregiver.

VA Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC)

The PCAFC pays a monthly stipend to the approved Primary Family Caregiver of an eligible veteran, and a spouse can be that caregiver. The VA has stated the stipend is a nontaxable benefit. VA lists four requirements, and the veteran must meet all of them: a VA disability rating (individual or combined) of 70% or higher, discharge from the U.S. military or a date of medical discharge, a need for at least 6 months of continuous, in-person personal care services, and enrollment in VA health care.

Those four are a first screen, not the whole test. You and the veteran apply together, and the regulation adds conditions VA assesses during the application. Participation must be in the veteran's best interest, and the veteran must receive care at home and ongoing care from a primary care team (or will once a caregiver is designated). The personal care the Family Caregiver gives also will not be simultaneously and regularly provided by another person or entity. Approval alone does not start the money: VA says "You must be enrolled in direct deposit using the VA customer engagement portal to get your monthly stipend."

The stipend starts from the federal GS-4, Step 1 annual rate for the veteran's locality, divided by 12, then multiplied by a stipend factor. Under 38 CFR 71.40(c)(4)(i) that factor comes from one of two schedules, and which one applies depends on how the veteran qualifies:

  • Current program (the veteran was approved under the eligibility criteria now in force): the factor is 0.625, or 1.00 if VA determines the veteran is unable to self-sustain in the community.
  • Legacy participant or legacy applicant (the household was already in PCAFC, or had applied, before the program's October 1, 2020 expansion): the factor is set by the sum of the veteran's 2019 clinical ratings, and no self-sustain determination is required. It is 1.00 if that sum is 21 or higher, 0.625 if it is 13 to 20, and 0.25 if it is 1 to 12.

A veteran who meets both sets of criteria is paid at whichever factor is higher. A legacy participant also has a floor, meaning the stipend cannot fall below what the caregiver was eligible for on September 30, 2020, for as long as the veteran remains at the address VA has on record. The legacy rules end on October 1, 2028. Ask your VA Caregiver Support Coordinator which schedule your household is on.

Veteran-Directed Care (VDC)

Veteran-Directed Care gives veterans a budget for services that the veteran or the veteran's representative manages, and with a counselor's help they hire their own workers. ACL says enrolled veterans may hire family, friends, and/or neighbors, and VA says workers might include a family member or neighbor. Neither page says whether a spouse may be the paid worker, so ask before counting on it.

VA says enrolled veterans are eligible if they are eligible for community care, meet the clinical criteria, and the service is available, and that services may vary by location. VA medical centers deliver VDC through aging and disability network agencies. In Kansas, ACL lists the VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System and the VA Wichita Health Care System (5500 East Kellogg Drive, Wichita, KS 67218-1607), each paired with area agencies on aging. A listing does not guarantee your medical center is referring veterans, so talk with your VA social worker about whether it is available where you live.

VA Aid and Attendance Pension

Wartime veterans and surviving spouses who meet the functional criteria and have countable assets and income under the net-worth limit ($163,699 in 2026) may receive the Aid and Attendance pension. The VA sets these as annual maximums: a single veteran with Aid and Attendance receives up to $29,093 a year; a veteran with one dependent up to $34,488 a year. The maximum is a ceiling, not a payment: VA pays the difference between that limit and your income for VA purposes. Unreimbursed medical expenses can lower that income; the Kansas Aid and Attendance guide shows the math.

In Kansas, you do not file these claims alone. The Kansas Office of Veterans Services (KOVS) staffs trained and accredited Veteran Service Representatives at field offices across the state who can help you file VA pension claims, including the non-service-connected pension that Aid and Attendance is paid as part of. KOVS says its services are free and are by appointment, and claims help can also be done from home by video conference or telephone. Contact your local VSR or call the KOVS main line at (785) 296-3976.

VA Caregiver Support Line: 1-855-260-3274

Will You Owe Tax on Caregiver Pay?

When a caregiver wage is what a family lives on, the question of how much the IRS and the state will take is not an afterthought. Here is what to know before you file.

On self-directed waiver pay, the participant is the employer, and the FMS provider, acting as the participant's agent, processes payroll, withholds and files federal, state, and local taxes, and makes the tax payments.

IRS Notice 2014-7

If you are paid through a Medicaid home and community-based services waiver to care for someone who lives in your home, your pay may be excluded from federal gross income under IRS Notice 2014-7, which treats qualified Medicaid waiver payments as difficulty-of-care payments excludable under Internal Revenue Code section 131. The exclusion applies only to payments for care in your own home, meaning where you reside and regularly carry out your private life, with the care recipient living there under their plan of care. It does not apply if you have a separate home where you reside. Kansas's PD rules limit when someone living in the home can provide Enhanced Care Services, as described above, which narrows the household arrangements that could qualify for that service. Talk to a tax preparer familiar with the rule before filing.

Kansas State Income Tax

Kansas levies a two-rate individual income tax. The Kansas Department of Revenue's 2025 individual income tax booklet applies 5.2 percent to taxable income up to $46,000 on a married-filing-joint return, or up to $23,000 on a single, head-of-household, or married-filing-separate return, and 5.58 percent above those amounts. Confirm the rate schedule for the tax year you are filing with the Kansas Department of Revenue. Kansas taxes the income in your federal adjusted gross income, so caregiver wages from a Kansas self-directed Medicaid program are subject to Kansas income tax to the extent they are included in federal adjusted gross income. If your pay is excluded federally under Notice 2014-7, ask your tax preparer how that carries to the Kansas return.

VA PCAFC Stipend

The VA has stated the PCAFC monthly stipend is a nontaxable benefit.

VA Aid and Attendance

Federal law exempts payments of VA benefits from taxation under 38 U.S.C. 5301, and that reaches the Veterans Pension and the Aid and Attendance increased rate paid with it.

Not sure which Kansas caregiver program fits your family? Chat with Brevy's care navigator for a personalized comparison based on your loved one's KanCare enrollment, veteran status, and whether you live together.

Where to Get Help in Kansas

Kansas Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) The line Kansas directs families to for information and referrals, including help finding respite. 1-855-200-2372 www.kdads.ks.gov
2-1-1 Kansas Free line to the broader network of local social services, benefits, and caregiver resources. 211 www.211.org
VA Caregiver Support Line Reaches a VA Caregiver Support Coordinator for the PCAFC stipend and other veteran caregiver benefits. 1-855-260-3274 www.caregiver.va.gov
Kansas Office of Veterans Services (KOVS) Trained and accredited Veteran Service Representatives help veterans and survivors file VA claims, including non-service-connected pension benefits, at no charge, in field offices statewide by appointment or remotely by video or phone. (785) 296-3976 www.kovs.ks.gov

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Kansas?

Only in limited cases under Kansas HCBS. KDADS's FE page says the family member providing Attendant Care cannot be a spouse, but its manual says a spousal exception can be submitted to the MCO and must receive written approval first. The approved FE waiver, effective July 1, 2026, says Personal Care Services may pay a spouse, with the needs assessment determining whether extraordinary care is required and the Person-Centered Service Plan documenting the spouse as the provider., If your spouse is a veteran, PCAFC lets a spouse serve as the paid Primary Family Caregiver. Veteran-Directed Care lets veterans hire family members, but VA and ACL do not say whether that includes a spouse.

Can I be paid if I live with the person I care for?

It depends on the waiver and the service. Kansas's PD provider manual says family members can be reimbursed for self-directed Personal Care Services, and KDADS's Self-Direction Toolkit says that for most self-directed services you can hire a family member or other person living in your house as your worker., Enhanced Care Services (ECS) is stricter. The PD provider manual and the approved PD waiver state its exceptions differently, as described above, and under the approved waiver someone living in the home can provide ECS only if they are a legally responsible person and the MCO has granted an exception. Ask your MCO care coordinator how the rules apply to your waiver and household.

Which waivers cover paid caregiving in Kansas?

The Frail Elderly (FE) waiver, for people 65 and older who meet the Medicaid nursing facility threshold score, and the Physical Disability (PD) waiver, for people 16 to 64 who meet nursing facility criteria due to a physical disability. FE allows only Attendant Care Services (now called Personal Care Services) to be self-directed; PD allows PCS, ECS, and FMS.,

Is there respite help in Kansas without Medicaid?

Yes. Respite care is one of the National Family Caregiver Support Program services provided through area agencies on aging, available when the person cared for is frail. Families can also self-direct respite and pay privately. Call 1-855-200-2372 for referrals.,

How do I reach my Area Agency on Aging in Kansas?

Call 1-855-200-2372, the Kansas Aging and Disability Resource Center, which Kansas lists for information and referrals. NFCSP services, including respite and caregiver training, are provided by area agencies on aging or entities they contract with.,

Learn More

CaregiverCaregiver Programs: The 50-State GuideA directory of caregiver programs in all 50 states: paid family caregiver pathways, respite, NFCSP grants, and VA benefits. Find your state's complete guide. CaregiverMedicaid Self-Direction and Consumer-Directed ServicesHow Medicaid self-direction lets a family member be your paid caregiver: employer authority, budget authority, the 1915(j) spouse rule, and how to get started. CaregiverThe National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP): A Complete GuideWhat the National Family Caregiver Support Program funds, who is eligible, and how to reach respite and caregiver support through your Area Agency on Aging. CaregiverHow to Get Paid as a Family Caregiver in KansasHow to get paid to care for a family member in Kansas in 2026: HCBS waiver self-direction, who can be hired, the spouse and co-resident rules, and VA options. CaregiverRespite Care in KansasRespite care in Kansas for 2026: NFCSP caregiver services through 11 Area Agencies on Aging, Medicaid waivers that can pay a family member, and VA options. CaregiverCaregiver Burnout: Signs, Stages, and How to Get SupportHow to recognize caregiver burnout, why it happens, and what actually helps, from respite care to evidence-based programs like REACH II and Powerful Tools. VA BenefitsVA Aid and Attendance in KansasVA Aid and Attendance in Kansas for 2026: who qualifies, the $34,488 yearly maximum for a veteran with a spouse, how to apply, and free help from KOVS. MedicaidMedicaid Planning StrategiesSee which assets you keep, how the 5-year look-back works, and the legal moves that qualify you for Medicaid long-term care without losing the house.

Find personalized help navigating Kansas caregiver programs at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.

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