Covering kids and pregnancy in Tennessee

Tennessee is unusually generous to children and pregnant women compared with other adults — even though the state didn't expand Medicaid. If you're pregnant or covering kids, check TennCare and CoverKids before you buy anything, because the coverage may be free or nearly free.

If you're pregnant: TennCare covers you to 250% FPL

Pregnant women qualify for TennCare at household incomes up to 250% of the federal poverty level, with:

• 12 months of postpartum coverage after the pregnancy ends
• Presumptive eligibility — temporary coverage that can start quickly while your full application is processed

Apply at tenncareconnect.tn.gov, by phone at 855-259-0701, by fax at 855-315-0669, by mail (P.O. Box 305240, Nashville, TN 37230-5240), or in person at a local health department. TennCare's managed care plans are BlueCare, Wellpoint, and UHC Community Plan.

Kids: TennCare bands and CoverKids

TennCare covers children at higher income limits than adults:

• Infants under age 1: up to 195% FPL
• Ages 1–5: up to 142% FPL
• Ages 6–18: up to 133% FPL

CoverKids (Tennessee's CHIP program) picks up children under 19 who aren't eligible for or enrolled in TennCare, in households up to 250% FPL — that's $54,100/year for a family of two or $82,500/year for a family of four, per tn.gov. Key features:

• No monthly premium, free preventive care, low copays
• It must be the child's only health plan
• CoverKids also covers pregnant women not eligible for TennCare up to 250% FPL — with no immigration documents required — including prenatal care, delivery, and 60 days postpartum

This is the critical planning point: your children may qualify for TennCare or CoverKids even when you buy a marketplace plan for yourself. Don't assume the whole family needs the same plan — check both. A family where the parents take a subsidized marketplace plan and the kids get CoverKids often pays far less than a family plan covering everyone.

Newborns

A baby born to a mother enrolled in TennCare is automatically covered for the first year — no separate application needed. Tell TennCare about the birth to keep records straight, but coverage is automatic.

Safe water for pregnancy, babies, and kids

Lead and some other contaminants are most harmful during pregnancy and early childhood. Health coverage handles the medical side: prenatal care, well-child visits, and blood lead screening for young children are covered, and TennCare checkups include lead tests at 12 and 24 months. For the water itself, especially if you mix infant formula with tap water, live in a home built before 1986, or use a private well, see these independent guides from Tennessee Water Authority:

• Lead in home plumbing
• PFAS in Tennessee water
• Well water testing

If you're worried your child has been exposed to lead, call their doctor; a blood test is the only way to know.

Radon: the home test every Tennessee parent should do

Radon is a radioactive gas that seeps up from the ground into homes. You can't see, smell, or taste it. Over years of breathing it, radon raises the risk of lung cancer; the CDC ranks it as the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths in the U.S., after smoking. It isn't an emergency, but because the harm builds up over time, the sooner you test, the less exposure your family has.

Tennessee has a lot of it. EPA places 38 of Tennessee's 95 counties in Zone 1, its highest radon-potential category, and the state says Tennessee homes average higher radon levels than the nation. Any home can have high radon, though, including new homes, homes without basements, and homes in low-risk counties. The only way to know is to test.

The test is free. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation's Tennessee Radon Program mails free short-term test kits to Tennessee residents. Order online or call 1-800-232-1139. The test takes 3 to 5 days: put it on the lowest level your family lives on, keep windows and outside doors closed, then mail it back with the prepaid postage. Tennessee Radon Authority, an independent radon guide, walks through how to get and use the free kit and what your results mean.

If the result is high. EPA recommends fixing your home if radon is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher, and considering a fix between 2 and 4. A certified professional usually installs a vent system; see radon mitigation and costs. Renting, or worried about your child's school or day care? See radon in rentals, schools, and child care.

What health insurance does and doesn't do. Health plans don't pay for radon testing or for fixing your home. They do cover lung cancer screening as free preventive care for adults 50 to 80 with a significant smoking history, as recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. If you've lived for years in a home with high radon, especially if anyone in the home smokes, tell your doctor. Radon and smoking together raise lung cancer risk far more than either alone.

Birth or adoption may open a marketplace special enrollment period

Having a baby or adopting a child may qualify the family for a marketplace special enrollment period — generally about 60 days around the event — letting you add the child to your plan or switch plans. Confirm at HealthCare.gov or 1-800-318-2596. But run the TennCare/CoverKids check first: the child may get better coverage free.

Frequently asked questions

We're a two-parent family earning $70,000 — do our kids qualify for CoverKids?

Possibly. For a family of four, CoverKids goes up to $82,500/year, and TennCare covers younger children at lower bands. Apply — eligibility is determined on your actual household facts, and there's no cost to check.

Can my kids be on CoverKids while I'm on a marketplace plan?

Yes. This split is common and often the cheapest correct answer: subsidized marketplace coverage for the parents, CoverKids (no monthly premium) for the kids. Check both programs rather than defaulting to one family plan.

I'm pregnant but I have a marketplace plan — should I switch to TennCare?

If your income is at or below 250% FPL, TennCare pregnancy coverage (with 12 months postpartum) may cost you less out of pocket than your marketplace plan. Compare, and remember presumptive eligibility can start coverage fast. GetCoveredTenn (1-866-475-7879) can walk through the trade-off for free.

Do I need immigration documents for CoverKids pregnancy coverage?

Per tn.gov, CoverKids pregnancy coverage for women not eligible for TennCare requires no immigration documents. Standard TennCare has its own eligibility rules — check tenncareconnect.tn.gov for your situation.

What if my income is too high for all of these?

Then the marketplace is your route: 2027 open enrollment runs November 1, 2026 – January 15, 2027 (December 15 deadline for January 1 coverage). Premium tax credits apply from 100–400% FPL with a hard cliff at 400%. Five insurers are offering 2027 plans in Tennessee: BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Celtic/Ambetter, Oscar, UnitedHealthcare, and Alliant.

Does a marketplace plan cover pregnancy if I'm already pregnant?

Yes. ACA plans cover maternity care even if you were pregnant when coverage started. Pregnancy alone doesn't open a special enrollment period, but the birth does, and TennCare and CoverKids take pregnant applicants year-round.

Are kids' dental and vision covered?

They're essential health benefits for children. On the marketplace, children's dental may come with the health plan or as a separate dental plan, so check before you enroll. For checkups, sealants, and finding a children's dentist, see Tennessee Dental Authority's independent kids' dental care guide.

Your next step

1. If pregnant: apply for TennCare right away at tenncareconnect.tn.gov or 855-259-0701 — ask about presumptive eligibility so coverage starts fast.
2. For the kids: check TennCare's child income bands, then CoverKids (up to 250% FPL, no monthly premium) — apply even if you're unsure; eligibility is free to determine.
3. For the parents: window-shop marketplace plans at HealthCare.gov with your household income — subsidies are 100–400% FPL with a hard cliff at 400%.
4. After a birth or adoption: confirm whether you have a special enrollment window (about 60 days) at HealthCare.gov or 1-800-318-2596 — but check TennCare/CoverKids for the child first.
5. Stuck? Call GetCoveredTenn at 1-866-475-7879 for free help — it's Tennessee's statewide Navigator program.

Sources

• Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Tennessee Radon Program — free short-term test kits, 1-800-232-1139; Tennessee homes above the national average (WATE, January 22, 2024)
• EPA Map of Radon Zones (Tennessee) and EPA's A Citizen's Guide to Radon — 4 pCi/L action level, consider action at 2–4 pCi/L; 38 of 95 counties in Zone 1 (as tallied by Tennessee Radon Authority from the EPA map)
• CDC — radon as the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S.
• U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (2021) — lung cancer screening for adults 50–80 with a 20 pack-year smoking history who smoke now or quit within 15 years
• CMS EPSDT policy and TennCare TENNderCare — blood lead screening at 12 and 24 months
• TennCare (tn.gov) — pregnancy coverage, child eligibility bands, postpartum coverage, application routes, MCOs
• tn.gov CoverKids — income limits, benefits, pregnancy coverage, immigration documentation policy
• HealthCare.gov — marketplace enrollment, special enrollment periods, premium tax credit rules
• CMS — 2027 open enrollment dates
• Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance — 2027 marketplace insurers
• GetCoveredTenn — Navigator program contact information

Related: TennCare · Marketplace plans · What plans cost · Subsidies · Open enrollment · Special enrollment periods · How we verify · Glossary