Kansas begins waitlist for frail-elderly home-care waiver amid funding shortfall

The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services has implemented a waitlist for the state’s Frail Elderly Home and Community-Based Services waiver, a change that may delay access to long-term services and supports for older Kansans.

The waitlist took effect July 6, 2026. KDADS said the Kansas Legislature provided insufficient funding in relation to continued demand, and that demand had exceeded the waiver slots currently available.

The announcement was issued by the Topeka-based state agency, but the policy applies statewide rather than only in Topeka.

Who the change affects

The Frail Elderly Home and Community-Based Services waiver serves frail elderly Kansans through home- and community-based services. KDADS described the change as an access restriction tied to the number of available program slots and the funding provided for them.

The agency’s announcement does not identify how many people have been placed on the waitlist, how many waiver slots remain available, or when the waitlist might be cleared. It also does not provide individual eligibility rules or details about how the waitlist will operate.

As a result, the announcement establishes that a waitlist is in place, but it does not establish when any particular person could receive a slot or services. People seeking information about their own circumstances would need to consult KDADS or the relevant program administrator.

Funding and service access

KDADS attributed the waitlist to a mismatch between legislative funding and demand for the waiver’s available slots. The agency said consistent investment is important to ensuring access to quality, cost-effective services for older Kansans.

The development concerns home- and community-based long-term supports, rather than a clinical finding or a new medical recommendation. It is an administrative action affecting access to a state waiver program.

No estimate for the waitlist’s duration was included in the July 6 announcement. The agency also did not state in the announcement how many additional slots or what level of funding would be needed to meet demand.

KDADS announced the change on July 6, the same date the waitlist became effective. The department’s notice is the source for the funding explanation, the description of the affected waiver and the statewide scope of the policy.