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Tennessee · checked September 2026
How Tennessee helps pay for long-term care, who to call when you need help or something's wrong, and how to check a facility before you sign.
The first question
Yes, for the care. TennCare CHOICES in Long-Term Services and Supports helps pay for care in assisted living. Rent and meals are usually still paid by the resident, often from Social Security. There can be a waitlist, so ask to be screened early, before savings run out.
Tennessee's Medicaid rules for long-term care, and the programs that pay for care outside a nursing home.
$2,982
2026
Institutional Medicaid income cap (300% of the SSI federal benefit rate), effective 1/1/2026. Same limit applies to CHOICES. If income is higher, TennCare offers the chance to set up a Qualified Income Trust (Miller trust). Apply through your TennCare health plan if already on TennCare, or the Area Agency on Aging and Disability (1-866-836-6678) if not; TennCare Connect is 855-259-0701.
$2,000
2026
Institutional Medicaid resource limit for one person (TennCare Eligibility Reference Guide).
We couldn't confirm whether this state uses a Miller trust or a spend-down. Ask the Medicaid office or an elder law attorney.
Apply for TennCare
TennCare (Tennessee's Medicaid agency)
TennCare's long-term care program for people 65+ and adults 21+ with physical disabilities. It pays for nursing home care, or for care at home or in an assisted care living facility for people who would otherwise need a nursing home. In assisted living it pays for personal care, homemaker help and medication help, but you must pay room and board yourself. Start by calling your local Area Agency on Aging and Disability.
Waitlist: Sometimes. Group 1 (nursing home) and Group 2 (nursing-home level of care, served at home) had no waitlist stated on the page. Group 3 (at risk of nursing home care) has an enrollment target of 1,750 for people not on SSI, as of Oct. 1, 2022. Assisted care living facility services are available to Groups 2 and 3 only (CHOICES Member Benefit Table).
An all-in-one medical and long-term care program for people 55+ who need nursing-home-level care but can live safely in the community. In Tennessee it is only offered in Hamilton County (Chattanooga area).
PACE provides all medical and long-term care for people 55+ who need nursing-home-level care but can live in the community. Programs in Tennessee:
Free, and on your side. Start with the aging office if you don't know where to begin.
The state's aging office and its local agencies explain your options, screen for programs and help with applications.
A free, independent advocate for residents of nursing homes and assisted living. Call about any problem with care, rights, billing or a discharge.
You don't need proof to report. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.
24/7
Unbiased Medicare help from counselors who don't sell anything: plans, bills, appeals, and programs that lower costs.
In Tennessee, assisted living is licensed as: Assisted Care Living Facility (ACLF). Read inspection reports before you sign anything.
Confirm a community's license here, and ask the agency how to see its inspection reports.
Medicare rates every nursing home on staffing, inspections and quality, with full inspection reports.
State veterans homes are often far cheaper than private care for eligible veterans and, in many states, their spouses.
Tennessee Department of Veterans Services
Clarksville
skilled nursing
Can a family member be paid to provide care? Yes, in some programs.
CHOICES members getting care at home can use Consumer Direction, which lets the member choose who provides their care. TennCare also publishes guidance for provider agencies that hire family caregivers. Confirm with your health plan which relatives can be paid.
Through your Area Agency on Aging and Disability: counseling, support groups, caregiver training, respite, personal care, homemaker help and adult day care for people caring for someone 60+ or someone with Alzheimer's. Availability varies by area.
Low- or no-cost respite vouchers so family caregivers can get a break.
Statewide Dementia Navigators offer memory screening, help families make a care plan, and connect them to support groups and local services. Federal funding runs through September 2026, so check that it is still active.
State-funded in-home help (homemaker, personal care, home-delivered meals) for adults who need help with daily tasks but are not on Medicaid. No income limit, but a sliding-scale fee applies.
Yes, for the care part. In Tennessee, TennCare CHOICES in Long-Term Services and Supports can pay for care in assisted living. Rent and meals are generally paid by the resident. There can be a waitlist.
$2,000 for a single person (2026). Institutional Medicaid resource limit for one person (TennCare Eligibility Reference Guide).
The Tennessee Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program: 877-236-0013. It's free and independent.
Researched from 26 sources, official pages first. Last checked .