Kansas Medicaid Resources

• State Medicaid Website: Kansas
• Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities Website
• Chapters of the Arc in Kansas

Kansas Medicaid Facts: From Kaiser Family Foundation Medicaid Fact Sheet (2009)

There are 64,100 people with disabilities covered by Medicaid in Kansas. Kansas spent $15,396 on each Medicaid recipient with a disability in 2007.

18% of all people covered by Medicaid in Kansas have a disability, while the national percentage is 15%.

Kansas spends 47% of all the money it spends on Medicaid on services for people with disabilities, while the national percentage is 42%.

HealthConnect Kansas

This program provides medical services to adults and children with disabilities, except those who are also eligible for Medicare.

• Community: transportation
• Health: chiropractic, durable medical equipment, emergency services, early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment, family planning, hearing, hospice, hospital services, immunization, mental health, laboratory, obstetrical, occupational therapy, outpatient substance abuse disorders, physical therapy, pharmacy, physician, podiatry, speech therapy, vision, x-ray
• Home: home health care, personal care

Kansas Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Adults and children with disabilities in Kansas have access to the state’s mental health Medicaid program. Anyone residing in an institutional facility, nursing home, state hospital, or intermediate care facility is not covered under this program.

• Community: peer support
• Health: crisis management, outpatient treatment, rehabilitation, support services
• Home: personal care
• Social Services: targeted case management, case conferencing

Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)

PACE programs are designed for people 55 and older who need nursing home placement, which includes many people with disabilities. These programs provide integrated care and support including a high level of preventive care. PACE programs must provide all services otherwise included in a person’s Medicaid or Medicare benefit, as well as all other services deemed medically necessary. Services are provided through PACE centers, so people must live close enough to an approved center to be eligible.

Ages: 55 and older

Level of Care: nursing

Restrictions: you must live close enough to an approved PACE center to receive care.

• Community: adult day care, transportation (health-related)
• Health: primary and specialty care, nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, recreation therapy, prescription drugs
• Home: home health care, home and environmental modifications
• Social Services: social services

Developmental Disabilities (MR/DD ) waiver

This waiver helps pay for services for people with developmental disabilities. Under this waiver, care can be provided in the home so that the person with the disability can remain with their family or in a community setting of their choice instead of in an intermediate care facility.

Ages:  5 and older

• Community: day services
• Home: residential services, home modifications, supportive home care, home care attendant
• Social Services: case management

Disabled/Physically Disabled waiver

This waiver provides services for people with disabilities of all kinds who wish to remain at home or in a community setting. The program is directed at people who need personal assistance to accomplish everyday activities.

Option for Self-Direction: For people over 18, this waiver allows the option for the person with the disability to be in charge of his or her personal attendant.

• Health: medical equipment
• Home: personal assistance services, home modifications, independent living counseling, consumer-directed attendant

Early Autism waiver

This waiver provides early intervention and treatment services for children with autism, Asperger’s, or an otherwise unspecified pervasive developmental disorder. This waiver is intended to serve children who would otherwise have to reside in a state mental health hospital.

Ages: Children are eligible from the time they are diagnosed with the disability until they are 5.

Restrictions: Children may receive waiver services for up to three years. If needed, families can submit an application for a fourth year of services.

• Health: clinical and therapeutic services, intensive individual supports
• Home:  respite care, parent support and training, family adjustment training

Traumatic Brain Injury waiver

This waiver covers people who have a brain injury and would otherwise have to receive services in a brain injury rehabilitation facility. People who receive services under this waiver can continue to receive them until the state determines they are no longer making progress toward independent living.

Ages: 16 to 65

• Community: transitional living services
• Health: medical equipment, assistive technology, behavioral therapy, cognitive therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy
• Home:  personal care, home modifications