Does TennCare pay for assisted living?
TennCare CHOICES pays for Assisted Care Living Facility services, meaning personal care, homemaker services and medication help, for eligible members in Groups 2 and 3, but the member pays the facility's room and board.
Only facilities that participate with the member's TennCare health plan can be used.
What is the TennCare income limit for long-term care in 2026?
$2,982 a month, three times the 2026 SSI federal benefit rate of $994. People with income above that may qualify by setting up a Qualifying Income Trust.
Countable resources must be $2,000 or less, with the home excluded.
What are the three TennCare CHOICES groups?
Group 1 is for people who receive nursing home care; Group 2 is for adults who qualify for nursing home care but choose home and community-based services; Group 3 is for adults at risk of needing nursing home care who do not yet meet that level.
As of July 1, 2025, Group 3 has an enrollment target of 3,750 for non-SSI recipients.
How do I apply for TennCare CHOICES in Shelby County?
People not yet on TennCare call the Aging Commission of the Mid-South at (901) 222-4111, whose Information and Assistance staff screen for CHOICES; current TennCare members contact their health plan.
The TennCare application can also be filed through TennCare Connect at 855-259-0701.
How long is TennCare's look-back period?
Five years. Gifts or sales below fair value in the five years before applying can make an applicant ineligible for TennCare-paid long-term care for a penalty period.
Keep records explaining large withdrawals.
How much money does a TennCare nursing home resident keep?
A $50 monthly personal needs allowance (rule 1200-13-01-.08); most other income goes to the nursing home as patient liability after allowed deductions, such as a spouse's allowance.
CHOICES Group 2 and 3 members living in the community keep more, up to 300% of the SSI rate.
Which TennCare health plans serve Memphis?
TennCare members choose among BlueCare (888-747-8955), UnitedHealthcare Community Plan (800-690-1606) and Wellpoint, formerly Amerigroup (833-731-2153), which coordinate CHOICES services for their members.
TennCare's LTSS Help Desk is 1-877-224-0219.
What is a Qualifying Income Trust in Tennessee?
A Qualifying Income Trust (often called a Miller trust) is a trust that receives the part of a person's monthly income above TennCare's long-term care limit ($2,982 in 2026), so the person can meet the income test; TennCare's rules govern how the money is used.
An elder law attorney can set one up correctly.
Can a TennCare applicant's spouse keep the house and savings?
The home is excluded while the applicant or spouse lives there, and federal spousal standards for 2026 let the at-home spouse keep countable resources between $32,532 and $162,660 plus an income allowance between $2,705 and $4,066.50 a month.
TennCare calculates each couple's protected amount from their assets at the start of a continuous institutional stay.
