Knoxville Senior AdvisorWhat is TennCare CHOICES?
TennCare CHOICES is Tennessee's Medicaid program for long-term services and supports, for adults 65 and older and adults 21 and older with physical disabilities, delivered through TennCare's managed care plans in three groups: Group 1 for nursing home care, Group 2 for people who meet nursing facility level of care but choose home and community-based services, and Group 3 for people at risk of nursing home placement who do not yet meet that level.
Group 3 enrollment is capped by funding: as of July 1, 2025, TennCare set an enrollment target of 3,750 for non-SSI recipients in Group 3. Group 2 is the route most Knoxville families use to pay for in-home care or assisted living services, because its members already meet the nursing-home level of care standard.
Who qualifies financially for TennCare CHOICES in 2026?
In 2026 the income cap is $2,982 a month, three times the SSI federal benefit rate of $994, with countable resources limited to $2,000 and the home where you live excluded; income above the cap can still qualify through a Qualifying Income Trust.
TennCare also looks back five years for gifts or sales below fair value, and a transfer inside that window can delay coverage. Married couples have additional protections for the spouse who stays home; see protecting a spouse. These figures are federal and state limits as of October 2026; an eligibility decision comes only from TennCare.
Does TennCare CHOICES pay for assisted living in Knoxville?
Partly. CHOICES Groups 2 and 3 cover Assisted Care Living Facility services, meaning personal care, homemaker services and medication help, at one unit per day, but the member must pay the room and board portion from his or her own income.
That room-and-board gap is the single most important fact about Medicaid and assisted living in Tennessee. A resident with a modest Social Security check may have care covered and still not be able to afford the rent and meals portion. Not every Knoxville ACLF contracts with the TennCare health plans, so ask each one directly whether it accepts CHOICES members and what it charges for room and board.
What home and community services can CHOICES members get?
CHOICES Groups 2 and 3 can include personal care visits, adult day care, in-home and inpatient respite, assisted care living facility services, community living supports and, in Group 2 under consumer direction, companion care, each with annual limits set in TennCare's benefit table.
| CHOICES service | Annual limit or note |
|---|---|
| Adult day care | Up to 2,080 hours per calendar year (Groups 2 and 3) |
| In-home respite | Up to 216 hours per calendar year (Groups 2 and 3) |
| Inpatient respite in a nursing home or ACLF | Up to 9 days per calendar year (Groups 2 and 3) |
| Personal care visits | Up to 2,580 hours per calendar year (Groups 2 and 3) |
| Assisted Care Living Facility services | One unit per day; member pays room and board (Groups 2 and 3) |
| Community Living Supports / Family Model | Shared small-home living with support; member pays room and board |
| Companion care | Group 2, consumer direction only, when cheaper than other home care |
The managed care plan assigns a care coordinator who builds the plan of care. Members choose among BlueCare (888-747-8955), UnitedHealthcare Community Plan (800-690-1606) and Wellpoint, formerly Amerigroup (833-731-2153). TennCare's LTSS help desk is 1-877-224-0219.
How do Knoxville families apply for TennCare CHOICES?
People already on TennCare ask their health plan for a CHOICES assessment; people not yet enrolled can apply through TennCare Connect online or at 855-259-0701, and can get free application help from the ETHRA Area Agency on Aging and Disability at 1-866-836-6678.
ETHRA's Information and Assistance staff screen callers for CHOICES and other programs across Knox, Blount, Anderson, Loudon, Sevier, Roane and Union counties. Have recent bank statements, income letters and insurance cards ready. In a nursing home, the $50 monthly personal needs allowance is what a TennCare resident keeps; most other income goes to the home.
Side by side
| TennCare CHOICES does | TennCare CHOICES does not | |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing homes | Pay for long-term nursing home care (Group 1) | Let the resident keep most income |
| Assisted living | Pay ACLF care services (Groups 2 and 3) | Pay ACLF room and board |
| At home | Fund personal care, adult day and respite within limits | Provide unlimited round-the-clock care |
| Access | Assign a plan care coordinator | Guarantee every ACLF accepts it |
Sources: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. chapters 0720-26, 0720-21 and 0720-18; Health Facilities Commission, TennCare and Department of Disability and Aging pages; CareScout and VA rate tables, as cited above. See our editorial standards.
