Ways to apply for TennCare
These are the channels Tennessee names on its own Medicaid pages. Use whichever is easiest.
- Online
-
Apply online
tenncareconnect.tn.gov
- By phone
- Call 855-259-0701
- In person
- Help in person from the local county Department of Health office.
- By mail
- Get the paper application
- HealthCare.gov
- You can also apply at HealthCare.gov any time of year. If anyone in your household looks eligible for Medicaid, it sends your information to Tennessee's agency.
- Decision time
- Federal rules give the state up to 45 days to decide, or 90 days if you apply based on a disability (42 CFR 435.912).
Read on the state's own pages, October 13, 2026.
Key facts at a glance
- Pregnant women eligible up to 200% FPL ($51,640 for a family of three in 2025).
- Children 0-5 eligible up to 146% FPL ($37,700 for a family of three).
- Parents eligible up to 95% FPL only, no expansion adult category.
- Postpartum Medicaid extended to 12 months (effective 2022-04-01).
Tennessee Medicaid, topic by topic
Eligibility
Income limits & who qualifies
TennCare covers pregnant women up to 200% of the federal poverty line ($51,640 annual income for a family of three in 2025).
How to apply
How to apply step by step
Apply online at tenncareconnect.tn.gov or call 855-259-0701.
Doula coverage
Doula coverage details
TennCare does not currently cover doula services through Medicaid; state advocacy for a State Plan Amendment is ongoing.
Postpartum extension
12-month postpartum status
TennCare extended postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months, effective 2022-04-01.
Pregnant women
Pregnancy coverage in full
TennCare covers pregnancy-related care up to 200% of the federal poverty line (about $51,640 annual income for a family of three in 2025), …
Renewal
Annual renewal & unwinding
TennCare redetermines eligibility at least once every 12 months under 42 CFR 435.916. During the 2023+ unwinding, roughly 69% of disenrollm…
For Black families
Roughly 325,000 Black residents are enrolled in TennCare, per the most recent CMS T-MSIS analytic file. The number understates true eligibility: every state has Black eligibles who aren't currently enrolled, usually because of the administrative-churn rates that rose sharply during the 2023 unwinding.
TennCare operates under a Section 1115 block-grant waiver, the only one of its kind in the country, which Governor Lee's administration secured in January 2021. Tennessee remains a non-expansion state; the Tennessee Justice Center has led the coverage-gap advocacy campaign.
For enrollment help: look for your state's Navigator program (federally funded under the ACA), a Federally Qualified Health Center in your county (every FQHC has certified application counselors on staff), or one of the named community organizations below. Our FQHC directory filters to this state at /clinics/tn/.
More on Tennessee from Black Health
FQHCs
Federally Qualified Health Centers in Tennessee
Sliding-scale clinics that take Medicaid + help with applications.
Providers
Providers who accept Medicaid in Tennessee
Filter our directory to Tennessee by specialty.
Health data
Black Health outcomes in Tennessee
Maternal mortality, life expectancy, uninsured rate by race.
Sickle cell
Medicaid gene-therapy coverage in Tennessee
Does Tennessee Medicaid cover Casgevy + Lyfgenia? SCDAA chapter, comprehensive centers.
Hospitals
Safety-net hospitals in Tennessee
CMS ratings, Medicaid-accepting hospitals, and which facilities anchor care for Black patients.
Tool
Medicaid eligibility pre-check for Tennessee
Household size and income, in about a minute. Direct link to Tennessee’s apply portal.
WIC
WIC in Tennessee
Adjunctive WIC eligibility for everyone on TennCare, monthly food package + Cash-Value Benefit.
SNAP
SNAP (food stamps) in Tennessee
Federal food assistance: FY 2025 max benefits, ABAWD rules, application URL for Tennessee.
TANF
TANF cash assistance in Tennessee
Tennessee’s maximum monthly TANF cash benefit, time limits, and how to apply.
Data sources
- TennCare — state Medicaid portal.
- KFF State Health Facts, Medicaid income eligibility + expansion + enrollment tables (kff.org/statedata).
- National Health Law Program doula Medicaid project (healthlaw.org/doulamedicaidproject).
- March of Dimes Report Card, 12-month postpartum extension tracker (marchofdimes.org/report-card).
- CMS T-MSIS Analytic Files, Medicaid enrollment by race and ethnicity (medicaid.gov/dq-atlas).
- HHS Poverty Guidelines, 2025 Federal Register release.
Data refreshed:
If you have Medicaid, the coverage on this page is the route to use first: it costs you nothing and it is what these programs exist for. If you are not covered yet, there is still a free option. Our directory of free and charitable clinics lists centers by state. The option below is self-pay and is not billed to Medicaid. It is here for readers who are between coverage or who prefer to pay out of pocket:
Sesame Care
See a doctor online today.
Same-day video visits from $34
See a doctor today