Kentucky · 1915(c) HCBS Waivers
Kentucky Medicaid waiver application, step by step
Kentucky's CHFS Department for Medicaid Services runs seven 1915(c) waivers — Michelle P. Waiver (MPW), Supports for Community Living (SCL), Home & Community Based (HCB), Acquired Brain Injury (ABI and ABI LTC), Model II, and the CHILD waiver. Since the kynect integration, every application is submitted online or in person. CHFS's official guide states twice: applications are not accepted by mail. This page is an organizer for that process, not an eligibility decision. Confirm every requirement with CHFS or your case manager.
WaiverPath is not a government agency, law firm, Medicaid provider, or benefits advisor. We help you organize information, documents, and follow-up tasks. Always verify requirements with the official agency or a qualified professional.
Which Kentucky waiver are you organizing?
The help desk and some documents change with the waiver. Pick the row that matches the applicant's situation, then confirm with CHFS or the ADRC before you submit.
| Program | Who it is generally for | Where families apply | Organizer note |
|---|
| Michelle P. Waiver (MPW) | People with intellectual or developmental disabilities who need community supports. | kynect.ky.gov or in person at an ADRC (877-925-0037) or Community Mental Health Center. Not by mail. | Waitlist position is based on application completion date. Confirm current wait figures and documentation with CHFS. |
| Supports for Community Living (SCL) | People with I/DD who need a different service configuration than MPW, often after an institutional setting. | Same kynect or ADRC/CMHC channel as MPW. Not by mail. | Historically the longest Kentucky HCBS wait. Confirm current eligibility documentation and wait with CHFS or your ADRC. |
| Home & Community Based (HCB) | Aged adults and people with physical disabilities who need community supports instead of a nursing facility. | kynect or your local ADRC (877-925-0037). Not by mail. | HCB is not limited to I/DD. Confirm current MAP-10 and physician-documentation requirements with your ADRC. |
| ABI / ABI LTC | Adults 18+ with an acquired brain injury who need community support. | kynect or ADRC/CMHC. DMS 1915(c) Waiver Help Desk (844) 784-5614. | Fall 2025 CHFS data showed no waitlist for ABI / ABI LTC. Confirm current slot availability with CHFS. |
| Model II | People who are ventilator-dependent and need skilled nursing support to live in the community. | kynect or ADRC/CMHC. Same DMS 1915(c) help desk as ABI. | Specialized criteria. Confirm current eligibility and slot status with CHFS before you apply. |
| CHILD Waiver | Children and youth up to 21 with high-intensity behavioral health or developmental needs. | kynect or in person at an ADRC or CMHC. Not by mail. | Slot availability varies. Ask the DMS 1915(c) help desk whether CHILD fits if a child is already waiting on MPW or SCL. |
Program-by-program cards live on the Kentucky Medicaid waiver programs guide. This page is the kynect application path.
The organizer steps
Step 1
Pick the right Kentucky waiver
CHFS runs seven 1915(c) waivers: Michelle P. Waiver (MPW) and Supports for Community Living (SCL) for intellectual/developmental disabilities, Home & Community Based (HCB) for the aged or people with disabilities, Acquired Brain Injury (ABI and ABI LTC) for adults 18+, Model II for ventilator-dependent individuals, and the CHILD waiver for children and youth up to 21 with high-intensity behavioral health or developmental needs. Confirm current waiver names and who each serves with CHFS before you apply.
Official source ↗Step 2
Get waiver-supportive Medicaid first
Medicaid and waiver services have separate applications. Apply for waiver-supportive Medicaid online at kynect.ky.gov, by phone with DCBS at (855) 306-8959, or in person at a DCBS office. CHFS states that applications are not accepted by mail.
Official source ↗Step 3
Apply for the waiver via kynect — never by mail
Once the Medicaid application is approved or pending, submit the waiver application online through kynect (kynect.ky.gov) or in person at an Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC line (877) 925-0037) or a Community Mental Health Center. CHFS repeats it for waiver applications too: applications are not accepted by mail. Confirm current sequencing (whether a pending Medicaid application is enough to start the waiver) with CHFS or your ADRC.
Official source ↗Step 4
Assemble the supporting documents your waiver requires
Each waiver has its own required documents: ABI/ABI LTC, HCB, and Model II need a MAP-10 plus medical records (hospital discharge with CT/MRI for ABI, physician ADL statement for HCB, ventilator orders for Model II). MPW needs documentation of intellectual/developmental disability such as an IEP, psychological evaluation, KEIS evaluation, or physician's order. SCL needs a psychological evaluation with a full-scale IQ (FSIQ) and adaptive behavior assessment. CHILD needs a physician's statement plus behavioral-health or psycho-educational records. Confirm the current document list for your waiver with CHFS or the operating agency before you submit.
Official source ↗Step 5
Record your application date and kynect confirmation
After you submit through kynect, save the submission date, confirmation or case number, and the KOG account used. DMS reviews the application and mails a letter saying whether requirements are met and what to do next — your dated record is your proof of where you are in line.
Official source ↗Step 6
Understand your waiver's waitlist reality
Per CHFS figures presented to the Kentucky legislature on 9/2/2025, MPW had approximately 9,686 people waiting (average approximately 1,274 days), SCL approximately 3,742 (average approximately 7.8 years), HCB approximately 5,360 (average approximately 119 days), and ABI/ABI LTC/Model II had no waitlist in that snapshot — approximately 16,373 unduplicated people total. SFY26 added 1,250 slots effective July 1, 2025 (HCB +500, MPW +500, SCL +250). These figures change. Confirm current waitlist counts and slot releases with CHFS or your ADRC before you plan around them. CHFS says the MPW waiting list is ordered by application completion date — confirm current ordering rules with CHFS.
Official source ↗Step 7
Keep your contact information current
DMS communicates by mailed letter after review, and waitlists can run years. Update kynect and the waiver's operating agency whenever your address, phone, or email changes so an offer or request for information never goes to a dead address.
Official source ↗Step 8
Log every call to the right help desk
ABI, ABI LTC, Model II, and CHILD questions go to the DMS 1915(c) Waiver Help Desk at (844) 784-5614 / 1915cWaiverHelpDesk@ky.gov. HCB goes to the Department for Aging and Independent Living at (877) 315-0589. MPW and SCL go to DBHDID at (502) 564-7700. Keep the date, person, and outcome of each call.
Official source ↗Step 9
Consider the new CHILD waiver if applicable
The Community Health for Improved Lives and Development (CHILD) waiver serves children and youth up to age 21 who need stabilization support due to high-intensity behavioral health or developmental needs. If a child is waiting on MPW or SCL, ask the DMS 1915(c) Waiver Help Desk whether CHILD fits.
Official source ↗Step 10
Save the DMS decision letter and the next action dates
DMS reviews the application and mails a letter with the decision and next steps. Save the letter, the date it arrived, any MAP-10 or evaluation appointment dates named in it, and the next action you were asked to take. Confirm those next steps with the operating agency named in the letter — WaiverPath does not interpret the decision.
Official source ↗kynect and KOG — what to save
If you landed here looking for how to apply through kynect, start with the official portal and a dated confirmation — not a third-party reprint of the forms.
kynect is the portal — KOG is the login
Kentucky's official benefits portal is kynect.ky.gov. You sign in with a Kentucky Online Gateway (KOG) account. Record the username (never store the password in WaiverPath), the date you created the account, and which email is attached. Confirm current login steps on the official kynect site — screens change.
Medicaid and the waiver are two applications
CHFS treats waiver-supportive Medicaid and the waiver itself as separate submissions. You can often start the waiver while Medicaid is pending, but you still submit both. Save the Medicaid case number and the waiver confirmation number as two records, not one.
CHFS does not accept these applications by mail
The official CHFS how-to-apply guide (updated January 13, 2026) states twice that applications are not accepted by mail. Online via kynect or in person at an ADRC or Community Mental Health Center are the routes. If someone hands you a paper packet, confirm with CHFS or the ADRC how they want it returned — do not assume a mailbox is valid.
Official starting points: kynect.ky.gov ↗ and the CHFS how-to-apply guide ↗.
Required documents by waiver
From the official CHFS guide, "Understanding Kentucky's 1915(c) HCBS Waivers" (updated January 13, 2026). Confirm the current list before you submit.
ABI / ABI LTC
MAP-10, plus a hospital discharge summary from the brain injury with CT or MRI results (ABI) or medical records verifying a primary brain injury diagnosis (ABI LTC). Confirm the current list with CHFS.
HCB
MAP-10, plus a physician's statement describing how the physical disability affects activities and instrumental activities of daily living. Confirm current documentation with your ADRC.
Model II
MAP-10, plus physician's notes or orders for ventilator use 12+ hours a day. Confirm current criteria with CHFS.
MPW
Documentation of intellectual or developmental disability: an IEP, psychological evaluation, Kentucky Early Intervention System evaluation, or a physician's order. Confirm the current list with CHFS or DBHDID.
SCL
Psychological evaluation with a full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) and an adaptive behavior assessment. Confirm current SCL documentation with CHFS.
CHILD
Physician's statement, plus behavioral-health records (SED checklist) or a psycho-educational report with IQ and adaptive assessments, depending on the basis for applying. Confirm current CHILD documents with the DMS 1915(c) help desk.
What to record after you apply
Waitlist position is easier to confirm with the agency when you have a dated paper trail. Write these down the day you submit.
- KOG username and the email on that account (never store the password in WaiverPath).
- kynect confirmation or case number, plus a screenshot or printed confirmation page from the day you submitted.
- The exact waiver submission date — MPW waitlist position uses application completion date.
- Whether Medicaid was approved or still pending when you submitted the waiver, and the Medicaid case number.
- If you applied in person: ADRC or CMHC name, staff member, written receipt, and date.
- DMS decision-letter date, what the letter asked for next, and the operating agency it named.
- Current mailing address, phone, and email on file in kynect and with the waiver desk.
- Every help-desk call: date, which desk, who you spoke with, and the outcome.
Organizer mistakes that stall a Kentucky application
These are paperwork and follow-up errors — not legal advice. Confirm process questions with CHFS, your ADRC, or your case manager.
Mailing the waiver application
CHFS states applications are not accepted by mail. A mailed packet can sit unprocessed while your completion date never starts. Use kynect or go in person, then save the confirmation.
Treating Medicaid approval as the waiver application
Getting Medicaid through kynect or DCBS does not submit the waiver. Families lose months when they wait for a Medicaid letter and never start the waiver file. Track both.
Letting the address on file go stale
DMS communicates by mailed letter after review, and MPW/SCL waits can run years. An offer or request that hits a dead address can cost your place. Update kynect and the operating agency whenever you move.
Calling the wrong help desk, then not logging the call
ABI, ABI LTC, Model II, and CHILD go to the DMS 1915(c) desk. HCB goes to DAIL. MPW and SCL go to DBHDID. Medicaid enrollment questions go to DCBS. Log the desk, date, and outcome so the next call is not a restart.
Waitlists by waiver
Per CHFS figures presented to the Kentucky legislature on 9/2/2025 — approximately 16,373 unduplicated people waiting across all waivers. SFY26 added 1,250 slots effective July 1, 2025 (HCB +500, MPW +500, SCL +250). These figures change. Confirm current waitlist counts and slot releases with CHFS or your ADRC before you plan around them.
| Waiver | People waiting | Average wait |
|---|
| Michelle P. Waiver (MPW) | approximately 9,686 | approximately 1,274 days (~3.5 years) |
| Supports for Community Living (SCL) | approximately 3,742 | approximately 7.8 years |
| Home & Community Based (HCB) | approximately 5,360 | approximately 119 days |
| ABI / ABI LTC / Model II | 0 in that snapshot | no waitlist in that snapshot — confirm current status |
| CHILD Waiver | not in that snapshot | slot availability varies — confirm with CHFS |
Deep dive on the biggest list: the Michelle P. Waiver guide.
Help-desk directory
DMS uses other state agencies to operate some waivers — call the desk that owns yours, and log every call. Confirm the current number on the official CHFS guide before you dial.
ABI, ABI LTC, Model II, CHILD
DMS 1915(c) Waiver Help Desk
(844) 784-5614 · 1915cWaiverHelpDesk@ky.gov
HCB
Department for Aging and Independent Living (DAIL)
(877) 315-0589
MPW, SCL
Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities (DBHDID)
(502) 564-7700
Waiver-supportive Medicaid (all waivers)
Department for Community Based Services (DCBS)
(855) 306-8959
Kentucky Medicaid waiver application FAQ
How do I apply for a Kentucky Medicaid waiver?
Apply online at kynect.ky.gov with a Kentucky Online Gateway (KOG) account, or in person at an Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC statewide line 877-925-0037) or a Community Mental Health Center. You also submit a separate waiver-supportive Medicaid application through kynect, DCBS at (855) 306-8959, or a DCBS office. Save both confirmation numbers. Confirm current steps with CHFS — WaiverPath does not submit the application.
Can I apply for a Kentucky waiver by mail?
No. CHFS states in its official how-to-apply guide (updated January 13, 2026) that applications are not accepted by mail. Use kynect online or apply in person at an ADRC or CMHC. If you were given paper forms, confirm with CHFS or the ADRC how they want those returned.
Is there a waitlist for Kentucky Medicaid waivers?
Yes, for most programs. As of fall 2025 CHFS data presented to the Kentucky legislature on 9/2/2025, MPW had approximately 9,686 people waiting (average approximately 1,274 days); SCL approximately 3,742 (average approximately 7.8 years); HCB approximately 5,360 (average approximately 119 days). ABI, ABI LTC, and Model II had no waitlist in that snapshot. CHILD slot availability varies. These figures change. Confirm current counts with CHFS or your ADRC before you plan around them.
What documents do I need for a Kentucky waiver application?
Each waiver has its own list from the official CHFS guide. ABI/ABI LTC, HCB, and Model II need a MAP-10 plus medical records. MPW needs I/DD documentation such as an IEP, psychological evaluation, KEIS evaluation, or physician's order. SCL needs a psychological evaluation with FSIQ and an adaptive behavior assessment. CHILD needs a physician's statement plus behavioral-health or psycho-educational records. Also gather identity, Kentucky residency, Social Security number, and Medicaid confirmation. Confirm the current list with CHFS — this is an organizer list, not an official determination checklist.
What is kynect, and what is a KOG account?
kynect.ky.gov is Kentucky's official benefits portal for Medicaid and waiver applications. KOG (Kentucky Online Gateway) is the login used to sign in. Create the account, record the username and the email attached to it, and save confirmation numbers the day you submit. Confirm current portal steps on the official kynect site.
How is Kentucky waiver waitlist position determined?
For MPW, CHFS says the waiting list is ordered by application completion date, so a complete, dated submission protects your place. Other waivers may use different operating rules. Save the kynect confirmation and the DMS letter. Confirm current ordering rules with CHFS or the desk that owns your waiver — WaiverPath does not assign waitlist position.
What is the difference between the Michelle P. Waiver and SCL?
Both are Kentucky I/DD waivers administered through CHFS. MPW is the primary community-supports waiver and covers the broader service set. SCL is often used for people who need a different configuration, including some transitions from institutional settings. Both use kynect or ADRC/CMHC intake. Contact CHFS to determine which track fits — WaiverPath does not decide the track.
What is the Kentucky CHILD waiver?
CHILD (Community Health for Improved Lives and Development) serves children and youth up to age 21 who need stabilization support because of high-intensity behavioral health or developmental needs. Apply through kynect or in person. If a child is already waiting on MPW or SCL, ask the DMS 1915(c) Waiver Help Desk at (844) 784-5614 whether CHILD fits. Confirm current eligibility and slots with CHFS.
Which Kentucky help desk do I call after I apply?
ABI, ABI LTC, Model II, and CHILD: DMS 1915(c) Waiver Help Desk (844) 784-5614 / 1915cWaiverHelpDesk@ky.gov. HCB: DAIL (877) 315-0589. MPW and SCL: DBHDID (502) 564-7700. Medicaid enrollment: DCBS (855) 306-8959. ADRC statewide line for in-person waiver intake: (877) 925-0037. Log every call. Confirm the current desk on the official CHFS how-to-apply guide.
Does WaiverPath handle my Kentucky application for me?
No — WaiverPath is an organizer for families, not an agency, case manager, or representative. Free accounts open the Kentucky checklist and remind you of follow-up dates. Plus ($6.99/mo or $49/yr) adds a forms assistant for capturing your kynect submission record, document inventory, waitlist log, and help-desk notes in one place. Confirm eligibility, program tracks, and timelines with CHFS, your ADRC, or your case manager.
Official sources
Last reviewed by WaiverPath: August 21, 2026.
WaiverPath is not a government agency, law firm, Medicaid provider, or benefits advisor. We help you organize information, documents, and follow-up tasks. Always verify requirements with the official agency or a qualified professional. Last reviewed: August 2026.
