How many people in Kentucky are on Medicare?
Refreshed annually
About 1 million, or 21.7% of the state's population, in 2025. Administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Medicare is one of the largest federal programs based on spending, providing health insurance coverage primarily to people 65 and older.
1M
enrolled in Medicare programs (2025)
21.7%
of the state's population insured by Medicare (2025)
Between 2015 and 2025, Medicare enrollment in Kentucky grew from 862,700 to 1 million, up 16% over the decade.
In 2025, 1 million Kentucky residents were enrolled across all Medicare programs.
Unique enrollment across all parts of Medicare
While people under 65 may qualify with a disability, end-stage renal disease, or ALS, Medicare primarily serves an older population. In 2025, 845,800 Kentucky residents aged 65 or older were enrolled in at least one part of Medicare — 84.5% of all Medicare beneficiaries in the state.
For comparison, the total 65-and-older population in Kentucky in 2025 was 868,000. That means 97.4% of Kentucky residents in that age group are enrolled in Medicare.
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In 2025, 845,800 people aged 65 and older in Kentucky were enrolled in Medicare.
Unique enrollment across all parts of Medicare, by age group
A state's share of Medicare coverage largely reflects its age distribution. In 2025, Medicare covered 21.7% of Kentucky residents, where 18.9% of the population is aged 65 or older. Kentucky ranks 20th of 50 states in Medicare coverage.
The share of Kentucky residents covered by Medicare has risen from 19.4% in 2015.
In 2025, 21.7% of Kentucky residents were covered by Medicare.
Share of population covered by Medicare and share of population 65 or older
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
