TennCare: Tennessee's Medicaid Program

TennCare is Tennessee's name for Medicaid — free or very-low-cost health coverage for qualifying children, parents, pregnant women, former foster youth, seniors, and people with disabilities. You can apply any time of year; there's no enrollment window. Apply online at TennCare Connect (tenncareconnect.tn.gov) or call 855-259-0701.

The thing most Tennesseans need to understand first: Tennessee has not expanded Medicaid. Most childless adults don't qualify at any income level — this is the coverage gap. If that's you, read the gap section below before anything else.

The coverage gap

Because Tennessee hasn't expanded Medicaid, adults without dependent children generally can't get TennCare no matter how little they earn — and marketplace subsidies don't start until 100% of the federal poverty level. That leaves a gap: below 100% FPL means no TennCare and no marketplace subsidies for most childless adults. If your household income is at or above 100% FPL, the marketplace with premium tax credits is usually your path — see Subsidies in Tennessee for 2027.

Who qualifies

TennCare uses MAGI (modified adjusted gross income) methodology for most groups, with a 5-percentage-point income disregard and no asset test for the MAGI groups. The main eligibility groups, per the state's official Eligibility Reference Guide:

• Children. Infants 0–1: up to 195% FPL; ages 1–5: up to 142% FPL; ages 6–18: up to 133% FPL. (With the 5-point disregard, these work out to roughly 200% / 147% / 138% in practice.) If your child doesn't qualify for TennCare, check CoverKids below — it covers kids up to 250% FPL.
• Parents and caretaker relatives of children under 18: up to 100% FPL. This is a recent, underreported change: in mid-2024, Tennessee raised this limit to the poverty level (it was far lower before), closing the old coverage gap for low-income parents. If you were turned down as a parent before 2024, it's worth applying again.
• Pregnant women: up to 250% FPL, with 12 months of postpartum coverage after the pregnancy ends. Presumptive eligibility is available — temporary TennCare coverage while your full application is processed. Newborns of TennCare-enrolled mothers are automatically covered for their first year.
• Former foster youth: covered up to age 26.
• Seniors and people with disabilities: via SSI (with a $2,000 asset limit) or long-term care programs.

How to apply

• Online: tenncareconnect.tn.gov
• Phone: 855-259-0701
• Fax: 855-315-0669 (paper application)
• Mail: TennCare Connect, P.O. Box 305240, Nashville, TN 37230-5240
• In person: your local health department

Enrollment is year-round — apply any time. Free help is available: the statewide Navigator program GetCoveredTenn (1-866-475-7879, getcoveredtenn.org) assists with TennCare and CoverKids enrollment, and HealthCare.gov's call center (1-800-318-2596) operates 24/7 except holidays.

How your coverage is delivered

TennCare doesn't pay your doctor bills directly. Your care runs through one of three statewide managed-care organizations (MCOs):

• BlueCare (BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee)
• Wellpoint (formerly Amerigroup)
• UnitedHealthcare Community Plan

TennCare Select serves special populations. Two more pieces of the delivery system: dental coverage for all TennCare and CoverKids members runs through Renaissance (since November 1, 2025), and pharmacy benefits run through the statewide pharmacy benefit manager OptumRx. For what TennCare dental covers and how to find a dentist who takes it, see Tennessee Dental Authority, an independent dental-care guide's TennCare dental guide.

What's covered

Key covered benefits include:

• Inpatient and outpatient hospital care
• Physician services
• Lab and x-ray services
• Behavioral health — mental health and substance-use treatment, as medically necessary
• Prescription drugs
• Non-emergency medical transportation
• Home health services
• EPSDT for members under 21 — comprehensive preventive and well-child coverage (Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment)

Work requirements for 2027: what Tennessee members need to know

Federal community-engagement requirements take effect January 1, 2027: in states where they apply, certain Medicaid members must complete 80 hours a month of work, school, or community service. Tennessee is on the in-scope list — CMS's June 2026 list of 1115 waiver programs subject to the requirements names Tennessee (primarily affecting low-income parents and caretaker relatives), confirmed by KFF's implementation tracker in September 2026.

The practical impact here looks small. Broad federal exemptions cover parents of children under 14, pregnant people, the medically frail, and others — and the Rural Health Association of Tennessee reports that the small number of TennCare members who are actually subject will largely be deemed compliant automatically, based on income data TennCare already has on file. The Division of TennCare has not yet published detailed member-facing implementation guidance; we'll update this page when it does.

CoverKids: the CHIP option

If your child doesn't qualify for TennCare, CoverKids (Tennessee's CHIP program) may cover them — see CoverKids for the full guide. The verified basics:

• Who: children under 19 who are Tennessee residents, U.S. citizens or qualified aliens, not eligible for or enrolled in TennCare, with household income at or below 250% FPL (per tn.gov: $54,100/yr for a family of 2; $82,500/yr for a family of 4). CoverKids must be the child's only health plan. Pregnant women not eligible for TennCare also qualify at or below 250% FPL — with no immigration documents required.
• Cost: no monthly premium; low copays for sick visits and medications; free preventive care.
• Benefits: well-child visits, vaccinations, physician services, hospitalization, mental health care, physical/speech/occupational therapy, vision, and dental for children. Pregnant women get prenatal care, delivery, and 60 days of postpartum care.
• How to apply: same channels as TennCare — tenncareconnect.tn.gov, 855-259-0701, mail, fax, or your local health department.

Your next step

1. Apply at tenncareconnect.tn.gov or call 855-259-0701 — any time of year.
2. If you don't qualify, check Subsidies in Tennessee for 2027 for marketplace help, or The Tennessee Enrollment Calendar for when you can buy a plan.
3. If it's your child who needs coverage, start with CoverKids.

Frequently asked questions

I'm a single adult with no kids and no disability. Can I get TennCare?

In most cases, no — Tennessee hasn't expanded Medicaid, so childless adults generally don't qualify at any income. This is the coverage gap. If your income is at or above 100% of the poverty level, marketplace subsidies may help instead: Subsidies in Tennessee for 2027.

I was denied TennCare as a parent a few years ago. Should I try again?

Yes — it's worth reapplying. In mid-2024 Tennessee raised the parent/caretaker-relative limit to 100% of the poverty level, much higher than the old threshold. A denial from before that change doesn't reflect the current rules.

Can I apply for TennCare any time, or do I have to wait for open enrollment?

Any time. TennCare (and CoverKids) enroll year-round — open enrollment windows only apply to marketplace plans.

I'm pregnant and uninsured. What are my options?

Pregnant women qualify for TennCare up to 250% of the poverty level, with 12 months of postpartum coverage — and presumptive eligibility can provide temporary coverage while your application is processed. If you're not TennCare-eligible, CoverKids covers pregnant women up to 250% FPL with no immigration documents required.

My kids are on CoverKids. Can I get coverage too?

CoverKids is for children under 19 and pregnant women — adults apply separately through TennCare. If you're a parent or caretaker relative of a child under 18 with income up to 100% of the poverty level, you may qualify for TennCare yourself.

What does "presumptive eligibility" mean?

For pregnant women, it means you can get temporary TennCare coverage right away — based on a preliminary finding that you're likely eligible — while your full application is being processed, so prenatal care isn't delayed.

Will I have to work a certain number of hours to keep TennCare in 2027?

Probably not — but read the details above. Tennessee is on the federal in-scope list, yet broad exemptions (parents of children under 14, pregnant people, the medically frail, and others) mean only a small number of TennCare members are actually subject, and those members are expected to be deemed compliant automatically from income data TennCare already holds. See "Work requirements for 2027" above.

Sources

• Tennessee Eligibility Reference Guide (tn.gov/tenncare) — eligibility categories, income limits, MAGI methodology with 5-point disregard
• healthinsurance.org, Tennessee ACA marketplace page — mid-2024 parent eligibility expansion to 100% FPL; Tennessee non-expansion status
• tn.gov/coverkids (eligibility and application pages) — CoverKids income limits ($54,100 family of 2 / $82,500 family of 4 at 250% FPL), benefits, no-premium structure
• Wellpoint Tennessee Medicaid provider manual; legalclarity.org — covered benefits, MCO delivery
• tn.gov/coverkids — dental via Renaissance (Nov 1, 2025), pharmacy via OptumRx; MCOs: BlueCare, Wellpoint, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, TennCare Select
• KFF Medicaid work-requirements tracker (Sept 2026), CMS interim final rule (June 2026), Rural Health Association of Tennessee — TN waiver population in scope; broad exemptions; small affected population expected to be deemed compliant from income data on file
• GetCoveredTenn (getcoveredtenn.org) — Navigator assistance, 1-866-475-7879

Our verification method — primary sources only, dated stamps, and a published corrections policy — is described on How we verify everything on this site.