What should we do when a parent's savings for care will run out within a year?
Calculate the month savings will reach about $2,000, TennCare's resource limit, and plan the TennCare CHOICES application for shortly before that date, while asking the current facility whether it accepts TennCare residents.
Gather five years of financial records now, because TennCare reviews transfers in that window. If income is above $2,982 a month, ask an elder law attorney about a Qualifying Income Trust. Spend-down on legitimate needs, such as paying care bills, prepaying funeral expenses within TennCare's rules, or needed home repairs, is allowed; gifts are not.
Will a Memphis assisted living facility keep a resident who runs out of money?
Only if it participates in TennCare CHOICES or the family can keep paying: CHOICES can cover ACLF services for eligible Group 2 or 3 members, but the resident must still pay room and board, so ask each facility in advance whether it accepts CHOICES members and at what room-and-board rate.
If the current ACLF does not participate, the realistic choices are moving to one that does, moving home with CHOICES home care, or moving to a nursing home under CHOICES Group 1 if nursing-level care is needed. Planning six months ahead keeps those choices open.
Is a veteran's pension worth applying for?
Often yes: VA Aid and Attendance raises the pension rate to as much as $29,093 a year for a single veteran or $18,697 for a surviving spouse in the 2025-26 rate year, and unreimbursed assisted living or home care costs reduce countable income.
Apply through an accredited veterans service officer at no charge. The VA has its own net worth limit ($163,699) and look-back, separate from TennCare's.
What spending is allowed before a TennCare application?
Paying for care, medical bills, needed home repairs, a replacement car for transportation, or paying off debts at fair value is generally allowed; giving money away or selling assets to relatives for less than they are worth is what the five-year look-back penalizes.
Keep receipts for every large payment. An elder law attorney can review a spend-down plan before money moves.
Can a Memphis nursing home resident stay while a TennCare application is pending?
Generally yes, in a nursing home that participates in TennCare: federal rules limit discharges for nonpayment while a Medicaid application is pending, but the family must file promptly and respond to every request for information.
Ask the business office to confirm in writing that the facility will accept TennCare as payment once eligibility is approved.
Sources include Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. chapters 0720-26, 0720-21 and 0720-18, Health Facilities Commission and TennCare pages, CareScout and VA rate tables as cited above; see our editorial standards.
