What is TennCare CHOICES?
TennCare CHOICES is Tennessee's Medicaid program for long-term services and supports, serving adults 65 and older and adults 21 and older with physical disabilities in three groups: Group 1 for nursing home care, Group 2 for people who qualify for a nursing home but choose care at home or in the community, and Group 3 for people at risk of needing a nursing home.
CHOICES is delivered through TennCare's managed care plans, so a member's health plan coordinates the services. Current TennCare members ask their plan about CHOICES: BlueCare (888-747-8955), UnitedHealthcare Community Plan (800-690-1606) or Wellpoint, formerly Amerigroup (833-731-2153). TennCare's LTSS Help Desk is 1-877-224-0219.
Does TennCare pay for assisted living in Memphis?
Partly. CHOICES covers Assisted Care Living Facility services, meaning help with personal care, homemaker services and medications, for members in Groups 2 and 3, but the member must pay the ACLF's room and board from their own income.
That makes Tennessee different from states with no Medicaid help at all in assisted living, but the room-and-board gap is real. Two practical conditions apply: the ACLF must be willing to serve CHOICES members through the member's health plan, and the member's income must cover the room and board the facility charges. Ask every Memphis ACLF directly whether it accepts CHOICES and what its room-and-board rate is for CHOICES residents. CHOICES also covers Community Living Supports, a shared small-home model, again with room and board paid by the member.
Who qualifies financially for TennCare CHOICES in 2026?
For 2026, monthly income can be no more than $2,982 (three times the SSI federal benefit rate), countable resources no more than $2,000 with the home excluded, and the applicant cannot have given away or sold assets below value in the previous five years; income above the cap can qualify through a Qualifying Income Trust.
Medical eligibility is separate: Groups 1 and 2 require nursing facility level of care, while Group 3 requires being at risk of nursing home placement. TennCare's page notes that, as of July 1, 2025, Group 3 has an enrollment target of 3,750 for people who do not receive SSI, so Group 3 is not open-ended. See TennCare's financial rules for spouses, trusts and the look-back.
What home care does CHOICES provide in the Memphis area?
For Groups 2 and 3, the CHOICES benefit table lists personal care visits of up to 2,580 hours a year, adult day care up to 2,080 hours a year, in-home respite up to 216 hours a year and inpatient respite up to nine days a year, among other services.
| CHOICES service | Limit / note (benefit table) |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Consumer Direction lets a Group 2 or 3 member hire their own workers, including some family members, instead of using an agency; Consumer Direct Care Network Tennessee acts as the fiscal employer agent. All services must be found medically necessary before they are approved.
How do Memphis families apply for TennCare CHOICES?
People not yet on TennCare start with the Aging Commission of the Mid-South, the Area Agency on Aging and Disability for Shelby, Fayette and Tipton counties, at (901) 222-4111 (or 1-866-836-6678 statewide), whose Information and Assistance staff screen for CHOICES; current TennCare members call their health plan.
The Medicaid application itself can be filed through TennCare Connect online or by phone at 855-259-0701. Gather proof of income, bank statements for the look-back, insurance policies and any trust documents before the screening call. If a parent is in the hospital, ask the hospital's case manager to start the level-of-care paperwork at the same time.
At a glance
| TennCare CHOICES does | TennCare CHOICES does not | |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing homes | Pay for Group 1 residents after patient liability | Let residents keep all their income |
| Assisted living | Pay for ACLF services in Groups 2 and 3 | Pay the ACLF's room and board |
| Home care | Cover personal care, respite, adult day and more | Cover unlimited hours |
| Enrollment | Screen through the Area Agency on Aging and Disability | Guarantee a Group 3 slot |
Sources include Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. chapters 0720-26, 0720-21 and 0720-18, Health Facilities Commission and TennCare pages, CareScout and VA rate tables as cited above; see our editorial standards.
