--- title: How we verify everything on this site url: https://www.tnhealthcoverageexplained.org/how-we-verify description: Every fact on this site traces to a source like HealthCare.gov, CMS, or TennCare. Our verification method, corrections policy, and what we won't publish. last_verified: 2026-10-17 publisher: TN Health Coverage Explained (independent; does not sell insurance) --- # How we verify everything on this site Health insurance advice is only as good as the facts underneath it — and the facts change every year. This page explains exactly how we check ours, how often we re-check, how we handle corrections, and what we refuse to publish when we can't verify something. If a fact on this site is wrong, this page should make it easy to find the error and tell us. ## Primary sources only Every factual claim on this site traces back to one of these sources: - **HealthCare.gov** — enrollment rules, deadlines, plan availability, and premium tax credit mechanics for the federally facilitated marketplace Tennessee uses. - **The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)** — plan-year parameters (like out-of-pocket maximums), public rate-review filings, and official statements on enrollment schedules. - **The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI)** — carrier licensing, consumer resources, complaint and external-review processes. - **TennCare and CoverKids on tn.gov** — eligibility categories, income limits, application paths, and covered benefits, including the official TennCare Eligibility Reference Guide. - **Tennessee navigator programs (GetCoveredTenn)** — where free enrollment help is available. We also read secondary sources — KFF, healthinsurance.org, Commonwealth Fund — to catch changes early and to understand context. But a claim doesn't go on the site until a primary source confirms it. When only a secondary source covers something, we say so, or we leave it out. ## "Last verified" on every factual page Each factual page carries a visible verification date, and every page on the site gets re-checked against primary sources each open enrollment season — because plan years, subsidy law, carrier lists, and poverty guidelines all change annually. If a page's date looks stale, treat it as stale: the number you see may belong to last year's rules. We will not silently age a page into a new plan year. ## Corrections policy When a law or the market changes — a court vacates an enrollment rule, a carrier exits Tennessee, Congress changes subsidy eligibility — we update the affected pages the same week and note what changed with a new verification date. We do not quietly rewrite history: if you think something on this site is wrong, [contact us](https://www.tnhealthcoverageexplained.org/contact) with the correction and a source, and we'll fix it and disclose that we did. ## What we will NOT publish This list is as important as what we do publish. Some of these are permanent policies; some are items we're actively watching, marked accordingly. **Specific premium prices — never.** Premiums vary by age, county, and tobacco use, and they change every plan year. Publishing a price guarantees it will mislead someone. Instead, we teach how prices are set and where to check current rates: HealthCare.gov window shopping or insurers' own sites. **2027 carrier availability by rating area — not yet.** Tennessee has eight rating areas, and TDCI's published carrier-by-area map still reflects plan year 2026 (it lists Cigna, which is exiting). We will not publish a 2027 county-by-county carrier breakdown until we've confirmed it on HealthCare.gov window shopping. *We're watching this.* **TennCare work requirements — resolved with a caveat.** CMS's June 2026 in-scope list names Tennessee's 1115 waiver population (primarily low-income parents), confirmed by KFF's September 2026 tracker — so the TennCare page now carries a careful Tennessee answer. The caveat: broad exemptions mean only a small number of members are affected, and the Division of TennCare hasn't published detailed implementation guidance yet. *Still watching for the state's guidance.* **Senate status of the enhanced-credit extension (H.R. 1834) — not stated as settled.** The House passed a three-year extension in January 2026; the Senate has not acted. If Congress passes it, the entire subsidy picture for 2027 changes. We'll say so the week it happens — not before. *We're watching this.* **Navigator capacity — confirmed for 2027.** CMS awarded GetCoveredTenn (Family & Children's Service) $473,000 for the 2027 plan year: in-person help in 10 counties (Cheatham, Davidson, Fayette, Robertson, Rutherford, Shelby, Sumner, Tipton, Williamson, Wilson), phone/virtual help statewide at 1-866-475-7879. **The 2027 Medicare Part B premium — not yet.** CMS had not announced it as of our last check. We'll fill it in when it's released. The principle behind every item above: a blank is better than a wrong number. If we can't confirm it, we withhold it, say we're watching it, and publish the answer when we can. --- ## Frequently asked questions **How often do you update the site?** Every factual page is re-checked each open enrollment season. When the law or the market changes mid-year — a court decision, a carrier exit, a congressional vote — we update the affected pages the same week and stamp a new verification date. **Why don't you list plan prices?** Because any price we printed would be wrong for most readers: premiums depend on age, county, tobacco use, plan tier, and subsidy eligibility, and they reset every plan year. We point you to the places where current prices actually live — HealthCare.gov and insurer sites — and teach you how to compare plans on more than price. **What does "last verified" mean, exactly?** It means a human checked that page's factual claims against the primary sources above on that date. It does not mean the facts are frozen — if something changed the next day, it changed. The date tells you when we last did the work, so you can judge freshness for yourself. **Do you sell insurance or earn commissions from insurers?** No. We don't sell plans, take commissions, refer you to specific insurers for payment, or enroll anyone. That's a deliberate design choice — it's what lets us write about trade-offs honestly. See our [about page](https://www.tnhealthcoverageexplained.org/about) for how the site is funded. **Can I suggest a correction?** Please do. Our [contact page](https://www.tnhealthcoverageexplained.org/contact) explains what to send — a correction, a source if you have one, and the page where you saw it — and we aim to respond within two business days. **What should I do if I need personal advice about which plan to pick?** We can't give it — we're an editorial guide, not licensed brokers or navigators. Call HealthCare.gov at 1-800-318-2596 for plan questions, or GetCoveredTenn at 1-866-475-7879 for free, unbiased enrollment help in Tennessee. --- ## Sources - HealthCare.gov (enrollment rules, deadlines, plan availability, tax credit mechanics) - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — plan-year parameters, ratereview.healthcare.gov rate filings, CMS public statements on the 2027 open enrollment schedule - Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance — carrier licensing, consumer resources, complaint and external-review process - TennCare / tn.gov — Eligibility Reference Guide, TennCare Connect, CoverKids eligibility and application pages - GetCoveredTenn / Family & Children's Service — Tennessee Navigator program