How to Pay for Assisted Living in Kansas: A Family Guide

One of the first questions families ask when they begin researching assisted living is: how do people actually pay for this? The honest answer is that most families use a combination of sources — and there are more options than most people realize.

At Home of the Flint Hills, we are a private-pay community. That means we do not participate in Medicaid or KanCare. But many families successfully fund care through the sources below.

1. Personal Savings and Retirement Income

For many families, the primary funding source is personal savings, retirement accounts (401k, IRA), Social Security income, and pension payments. Many residents fund their entire stay this way, particularly those who have planned ahead or who own a home they are selling.

2. Long-Term Care Insurance

Long-term care (LTC) insurance policies are specifically designed to cover costs like assisted living, memory care, and home care. If your loved one purchased an LTC policy years ago, it may pay a daily or monthly benefit that significantly offsets the cost of care. Pull out the policy and review the daily benefit amount, the elimination period, and what types of care are covered.

3. VA Aid & Attendance

For veterans and surviving spouses, VA Aid & Attendance can pay up to $2,700/month toward care costs. This benefit is tax-free and does not affect Social Security. See our separate article on VA Aid & Attendance for full details.

4. Home Sale Proceeds

Many families fund assisted living by selling a parent’s home. For older adults who purchased their home decades ago, proceeds from a sale — after a lifetime of appreciation — can comfortably cover years of care. A financial advisor or elder law attorney can help with timing and tax planning.

5. Life Insurance Conversions

Some life insurance policies can be converted to pay for long-term care through a life settlement or an accelerated death benefit. This option is less well known but can be meaningful for families with whole life or universal life policies.

What About Medicare and Medicaid?

Medicare does not cover long-term assisted living. It may cover short-term skilled nursing care following a hospitalization, and it covers doctor visits, medications, and medical services — so residents at our homes can still use their Medicare benefits for those purposes. Medicaid (KanCare in Kansas) does cover some assisted living for those who qualify, but we do not participate in Medicaid programs.

6. Private-Pay Spend-Down Strategy

One planning strategy many families overlook is using private pay as a deliberate spend-down approach before transitioning to Medicaid. Rather than limiting options to only Medicaid-certified facilities from the start, families can use private funds first — allowing their loved one to live in a higher-quality, home-style setting like ours — while gradually spending down assets to eventually qualify for KanCare in a Medicaid-certified facility later if needed.

This gives families significantly more choices early on, more time in a setting that truly feels like home, and a more gradual, planned transition if circumstances change. We strongly recommend working with an elder law attorney or certified financial planner who specializes in senior care to map out this strategy in advance — the earlier the better.