Knoxville Senior AdvisorWhat does assisted living cost in Tennessee?
CareScout's 2025 Tennessee median is $67,140 a year, about $5,595 a month, for a private one-bedroom; there is no published Knoxville-only or memory care median.
Does Medicare pay for assisted living?
No. Medicare pays for medical care, such as doctor visits, home health, short skilled nursing stays and hospice, but not assisted living rent, meals or personal care.
Will TennCare pay for assisted living in Knoxville?
TennCare CHOICES pays the care services in a participating ACLF for eligible members in Groups 2 and 3, but the resident must pay room and board from his or her own income.
What are the 2026 TennCare CHOICES financial limits?
Income up to $2,982 a month (a Qualifying Income Trust can handle income above that), countable resources of $2,000 with the home excluded, and a five-year look-back on gifts.
How much can VA Aid and Attendance pay?
For December 2025 through November 2026, up to $29,093 a year (about $2,424 a month) for a single veteran and $18,697 (about $1,558 a month) for a surviving spouse, reduced by countable income after care costs.
Does long-term care insurance cover assisted living in Tennessee?
Most policies do once the insured needs help with two or more activities of daily living or has a cognitive impairment, after an elimination period; Tennessee-licensed ACLFs meet most policies' facility definitions.
What does a Tennessee nursing home cost?
About $9,429 a month for a semi-private room and $10,038 for a private room at CareScout's 2025 Tennessee medians.
Where can we get free benefits help?
ETHRA's AAAD (1-866-836-6678) for CHOICES and OPTIONS screening, TN SHIP (1-877-801-0044) for Medicare, and an accredited veterans service officer for VA pension claims.
Does TennCare have a waiting list for home care?
CHOICES Group 3 has an enrollment target set by funding (3,750 non-SSI enrollees as of July 1, 2025), and OPTIONS for Community Living depends on available state funds, so either can involve a wait; Group 2 members who meet nursing-facility level of care are not subject to that Group 3 target.
Can a reverse mortgage pay for care in Knoxville?
A reverse mortgage can fund care for a homeowner who keeps living in the house, but it generally comes due when the borrower moves out for more than a year, so it fits in-home care better than a permanent move to assisted living.
Side by side
| These answers are | These answers are not | |
|---|---|---|
| Basis | Tennessee rules and published data, cited on our guide pages | Legal, tax or medical advice |
| Scope | General answers for the seven-county Knoxville area | A decision about your parent's case |
| Freshness | Checked October 2026 | Guaranteed after rules or rates change |
