Also known as The Sunflower State, Kansas is a state with varied options for retirees. Senior living in Kansas offers something for everyone.
The state is comprised of six regions. The Northwest region is home to Mount Sunflower, the state’s highest point. The North Central region includes the center of the state, also the exact center of the country. The capital of Kansas, Kansas City, is in the Northeast region. Southwest region has Dodge City & Boot Hill Museum, a museum dedicated to old west history. Wichita, the largest city in the state, is in the South Central region. The Southeast region is home to trees and hills proof that contrary to the commonly held belief, Kansas is not completely flat.
The state is home to several professional sports teams including the Kansas City Chiefs (football), Kansas City Royals (baseball) and Sporting Kansas City (soccer). The Kansas Speedway typically hosts 2 NASCAR events each year. The venue also hosts numerous other events including an international barbeque competition, Royal World Series of Barbeque. For fans of the Wizard of Oz there are several sites in the state devoted to the book and movie including an Oz Museum, Winery and OztoberFest celebration in Wamego and The Yellow Brick Road in Sedan.
Besides barbeque, one of the state’s most well known food items, Kansas senior living community members can enjoy other delicacies such as bierocks, brown butter frozen custard, bread (the state is also known as The Wheat State), burgers and steaks.
For retirees enjoying senior living in Kansas the state benefits from a temperate climate but there are significant differences between summer and winter temperatures. The summer temperatures can reach in the mid 80s in July while in January the average high temp is in the low 30s. The average snowfall in the state is 19 inches.
Taxes in Kansas
The state sales tax rate in Kansas is 6.50% and the average local tax rate is 2.18% for a combined total of 8.68%. With the maximum local tax rate as high as 4% Kansas is one of 10 states the country with the highest state level taxes. Individual income tax rates are calculated at three brackets, 3.1% for up to $15,000, 5.25% for incomes between 15,000 and $30,000 and 5.70% for incomes above $30,000. Social Security benefits are not taxable in the state as long as income is less than $75,000. Other retirement income (private pensions, IRA withdrawals, etc.) is taxable.
Retirement Communities In Kansas
Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC) and Lifecare Communities in Kansas offer seniors age 55+ (or 62+) a residence that allows them to be independent and active today, but also provide services for their future healthcare needs.
Today’s seniors have many retirement housing options. Deciding where to live is one of the most important and complex decisions one will make. Making these decisions while still healthy can help you avoid difficult and costly situations in the future.
>> FIND CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES IN KANSAS
Options for Retiring in Kansas
Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) sometimes referred to as Life Plan communities, offer residents independent living when they enter the community with the security of having assisted living, memory care, and/or skilled nursing care options on site.
Kansas CCRCs or Life Plan communities generally offer various accommodations including apartments, cottages and townhomes. These communities commonly include common activity areas such as a restaurant-like dining room, cafes, a library, activity and craft rooms, an assisted living facility, and a nursing home. Other amenities often include swimming pools, a wellness center, auditoriums, convenience stores, walking trails, gardens, beauty/barber shops, banking services and guest accommodations.
Regulation of CCRC in Kansas
CCRCs are regulated at the state level through various divisions such as insurance, aging or elder services, financial services, or social services. Some states such as Kansas do not regulate CCRCs separately, and for those do the requirements and degree of oversight vary drastically from one state to another. Because of the varying requirements vetting each community individually is the safest way to insure a community is in good standing.
If a state does not separately regulate CCRCs, the care components of each CCRC, including assisted living, memory care, and nursing care, would still be regulated by the appropriate licensing bodies for each of those types of care.
Selecting A CCRC In Kansas
Most CCRCs in Kansas have entrance requirements; they vary by location but may include some or all of the following:
- Entry fee to cover the housing unit’s cost and other services and amenities, including contractually provided access to health care. The entry fee may also help keep monthly services fees lower than they might be at a comparable rental community.
- Minimum age requirements as allowed by the Housing for Older Persons Act, typically either age 55 or 62.
- Will, healthcare power of attorney, and durable power of attorney.
- Minimum financial qualifications. This varies, but on average assets and income should be somewhere around 2x the entry fee and monthly fee, respectively. Some CCRCs will have a more detailed financial qualification process.
- Medical evaluations. Providers will often request medical records, talk with a prospective resident’s primary care physician, or request a health exam. The specific type of contract offered by the community will determine the degree of emphasis placed on this requirement.
- Medicare and possibly a Medicare supplement policy, or a similar private-pay plan.
Entry Fee Requirements For Kansas CCRCs
Most CCRCs or Life Plan Communities in Kansas require an entry fee. The entry fee is required for several reasons. First and foremost, it secures a resident’s contractual and priority access to the care they may need while living in the community. Secondly, the money received from entry fees is also used to help pay down, or limit, the amount of debt required for development, expansion, or long-term capital projects, which keep the community attractive and competitive in the marketplace and also benefits current residents. Lastly, a portion of the entry fee may go towards an endowment fund set up by the community. Many CCRCs maintain an endowment fund to provide financial assistance if a resident runs out of money due to a longer than average stay in the healthcare facility, or some other unforeseen circumstance. This means they will not be forced to leave the community.
Is A Kansas Life Plan Retirement Community Right For You?
A CCRC or Life Plan Community in Kansas might be a good fit for you or a loved one, you can get detailed information on top Life Plan communities in Kansas by searching myLifeSite’s continuing care retirement community directory for helpful profile reports. Our independent reports, combined with our consumer education resources, provide much of what you need to make an informed decision including retirement community pricing, important contract details, healthcare aspects, and more.
Updated November 2021