Medicaid in Tennessee: what you may be able to apply for

Income limit

• Parents / caretaker relatives (Caretaker Relative; must have a dependent child)≤ 100% FPL🔴🌟 Tennessee did not expand, so low-income adults in general have no Medicaid pathway. The only possible family-based pathway for adults is Caretaker Relative: a parent/caretaker relative raising a dependent child under 18 (or 18 and a full-time student), income up to 100% FPL — official TennCare eligibility guide monthly/annual limits: 1 person $1,330/$15,960; 2 $1,804/$21,640; 3 $2,277/$27,320, no resource limit. ⚠️ An adult with no child, who is not pregnant and not aged/blind/disabled, generally has no pathway. Meeting the income line is not automatic eligibility — it is still determined.
• Infants (age 0 to under 1)≤ 195% FPLTennCare covers infants age 0 to under 1 up to 195% FPL — official TennCare eligibility guide monthly/annual limits: 1 person $2,594/$31,122; 2 $3,517/$42,198; 3 $4,440/$53,274, no resource limit. Children above this line look at CoverKids (the CHIP row, up to 250% FPL). A child must be a Tennessee resident and a U.S. citizen or qualified immigrant (verify the five-year wait for qualified-immigrant children with TennCare).
• Children ages 1-5≤ 142% FPLTennCare covers children age 1 to under 6 up to 142% FPL — official TennCare eligibility guide monthly/annual limits: 1 person $1,889/$22,664; 2 $2,561/$30,729; 3 $3,233/$38,795, no resource limit. Children above this line look at CoverKids (up to 250% FPL).
• Children ages 6-18≤ 133% FPLTennCare covers children age 6 to under 19 up to 133% FPL (this is the floor covering all children; younger children have higher limits, see the two tiers above) — official TennCare eligibility guide monthly/annual limits: 1 person $1,769/$21,227; 2 $2,399/$28,782; 3 $3,028/$36,336, no resource limit. Children above this line look at CoverKids (up to 250% FPL).
• Pregnant women≤ 250% FPLTennCare covers low-income pregnant women up to 250% FPL (a pregnant woman counts as a household of 2) — official TennCare eligibility guide monthly/annual limits: 2 $4,509/$54,100; 3 $5,692/$68,300, no resource limit; a newborn of a Medicaid-eligible woman is deemed eligible for one year. 🔴 But this program generally requires U.S. citizenship or qualified-immigrant status. 🔴 Honest finding: a pregnant woman who does not qualify because of immigration status can use Emergency Medicaid for the delivery (regardless of status); in addition, 🌟 CoverKids covers 'the unborn children of women who are not eligible under another TennCare category' up to 250% FPL (the federal CHIP unborn-child option, which can provide prenatal care for the pregnancy — see the CHIP row; verify your situation with CoverKids).
• Aged / blind / disabled (SSI-linked)Tennessee's aged/blind/disabled Medicaid is largely SSI-linked: people who receive federal SSI cash generally get TennCare. Official TennCare eligibility guide: SSI income limit $994/month (1 person), $1,491 (2 persons); resource limit $2,000 (1 person)/$3,000 (2 persons), add $100 per additional person. Institutional Medicaid for people who need institutional care (nursing home, etc.) has an income limit of about $2,982/month and a $2,000 resource limit. There are also Medicare Savings Programs (QMB/SLMB/QI, which help pay Medicare premiums and cost-sharing). 🔴 Unlike family/child categories, these non-MAGI categories have resource limits. Meeting a threshold is not automatic eligibility — verify with TennCare or SSA.