Kentucky Medicaid skilled nursing rates
Kentucky Medicaid pays $365.78 for nursing home stay (daily rate) delivered by a physician or licensed psychologist, effective October 1, 2025, the 4th highest of 19 states with comparable rates.
- Nursing home stay (daily rate)
- $365.78
- Rank among states
- 4 of 19+29.4% vs median
- Registered nurse median wage
- $38.96BLS May 2025
- Kentucky minimum wage
- $7.25
Kentucky skilled nursing rates vs other states
Fee-for-service, like-for-like by provider level. Click a rate to open Kentucky's official fee schedule.
| Service | Provider level | Code | KY rate | Unit | Per hour | Rank | Median across states | Lowest | Highest | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing home stay (daily rate) | Physician or licensed psychologist | $365.78 | — | — | 4 of 19 | $282.59 | $70.00 | $826.00 | 19 | |
| Hospice room and board in a nursing home | All levels | Not published | $294.00/day | $196.85 | $1,051.23 | 5 | ||||
Nursing home stay (daily rate): where Kentucky ranks
States whose published unit can't be converted are left out of the ranking.
| # | State | Rate | Unit | Per hour | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | $826.00 | — | — | 2026-07-01 |
| 2 | Colorado | $419.22 | — | — | 2025-10-01 |
| 3 | Washington | $373.84 | — | — | 2026-07-01 |
| 4 | Kentucky | $365.78 | — | — | 2025-10-01 |
| 5 | Maryland | $351.63 | — | — | 2026-07-01 |
| 6 | North Carolina | $326.33 | — | — | 2022-11-01 |
| 7 | California | $324.03 | — | — | 2026-01-01 |
| 8 | Nebraska | $321.16 | — | — | 2026-07-01 |
| 9 | Mississippi | $285.90 | — | — | 2026-04-01 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $282.59 | — | — | 2026-07-01 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $255.27 | — | — | 2025-04-01 |
| 12 | Illinois | $248.95 | — | — | 2026-10-01 |
| 13 | Oklahoma | $246.26 | — | — | 2026-07-01 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | $226.35 | — | — | 2016-01-01 |
| 15 | Montana | $220.15 | — | — | 2026-07-01 |
| 16 | Missouri | $210.39 | — | — | 2024-01-01 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $107.21 | — | — | 2021-07-01 |
| 18 | Michigan | $99.90 | — | — | 2026-01-01 |
| 19 | Arkansas | $70.00 | — | — | 2025-07-01 |
What it costs to deliver in Kentucky
Median hourly wages from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025).
| Role | KY median | US median | vs US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered nurse | $38.96 | $46.90 | -16.9% |
| Licensed practical nurse | $29.07 | $30.96 | -6.1% |
| Nursing assistant (CNA) | $18.45 | $20.32 | -9.2% |
Recent Kentucky skilled nursing rate changes
| Change | Status | Change | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMS public notice: 26-0004 Ventilator Services Public Notice | proposed | +24.2% | — |
| 907 KAR 1:065 amendment (52 Ky.R. 635, 1138): Payments for price-based nursing facility services. | effective | — | 2026-01-22 |
| 2026-2028 budget (HB 500, 2026 Ky. Acts ch. 168) Part I Medicaid Services: Hospital-Based Ventilator Dependent Facilities | enacted | +24.2% | 2026-01-01 |
| DMS public notice: Long Term Care Public Notice 2025 | proposed | — | 2025-07-01 |
| SPA/directed payment: 250004NursingFacility | approved_cms | — | 2025-07-01 |
| DMS provider letter: Assessment Rates Allowance Ancillary Change | effective | +54.9% | 2024-07-01 |
| DMS public notice: Long Term Care Public Notice 2024 | proposed | — | 2024-07-01 |
| DMS public notice: Nursing Facility Rate Freeze Public Notice | proposed | — | 2024-04-01 |
The workspace adds every modifier, region and provider variant, full rate history, proposed changes, coverage and prior-authorization rules, managed-care plans and a unit-economics calculator. All of it is available through the API.
Rates are taken from Kentucky's official Medicaid publications, and each one links to its source. Confirm with the payer before billing. Managed-care plans may pay differently from fee-for-service.