Answers For Tennessee Health Insurance Questions

This is the place to begin to get answers for your Tennessee health insurance questions. If you have a question to which you can't find a clear answer, go to our Contact Us Page and send us an email.

If your issue is complicated and might require some research, a preliminary email request would be best. If you need personalized assistance and need to talk to someone, go to our Location Page and call us.

Get a Free, No-Obligation Quote:

Get a Tennessee Individual Health Insurance Quote.

Get a Tennessee Family Health Insurance Quote.

Get a Tennessee Short Term (COBRA Alternative) Health Insurance Quote.

Get a Tennessee Limited Benefit Health Insurance Quote.

Get a Tennessee Fitness Culture Proposal.

Get a Tennessee Group Health Insurance Quote.

Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance - Commissioner: Leslie Newman

500 James Robertson Prkwy, Davy Crockett Tower, Nashville, TN 37243-0565, Telephone: 615-741-2241

Webpage: Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance.

Tennessee State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP): Tennessee Cover Kids

Tennessee Cover Kids; Telephone Number: 1-866-CoverTN (1-866-268-3786);

Webpage: Tennessee SCHIP - Tenn Cover Kids.

Summary of Tennessee Cover Kids: Tennessee runs a combination program, operating both a Medicaid expansion and a separate SCHIP program.

Eligibility: SCHIP was enacted to provide health coverage to targeted low income children. Federal rules and waivers allow states to set their income eligibility at levels that are higher or lower than the target level of 200% of the federal poverty level ($43,300 for a family of four in 2007). States that cover families at higher income levels usually require some cost sharing. Tennessee is one of 19 states that extend eligibility for coverage at a level greater than 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL). Tennessee’s upper income eligibility limit is 250% FPL. Families at the higher ends of income eligibility pay higher premiums.

Tennessee's CoverKids Children's Health Insurance Program is accessible to pregnant women and children through the age of 18. To qualify for benefits under the CoverKids Program, applicants must reside in the State of Tennessee and not currently have health insurance nor have had health insurance in the past 3 months. You may not be eligible to receive TennCare benefits nor have access to state employee medical coverage. All applicants must be Tennessee residents who are U.S. citizens or qualified legal aliens. Family income must not exceed 250% of the Federal Poverty Level.

Tennessee’s Separate SCHIP covered benefits include (but are not necessarily limited to):

• Physician services;

• Inpatient hospital;

• Inpatient mental health;

• Inpatient substance abuse treatment;

• Pharmacy;

• Physical, Speech and Occupational Therapy; and,

• Chiropractic care.

Tennessee Medicaid Health Insurance Program: TennCare

TennCare, 310 Great Circle Road, Nashville, TN 37243, 1-800-342-3145: Darin Gordon, Deputy Commissioner;

Webpage: Tennessee Medicaid - TennCare.

Summary of Medicaid Program and Benefits: TennCare is a government-operated medical assistance program designed for people who are eligible for Medicaid, as well as for some children who do not have insurance. TennCare is a Medicaid waiver, or demonstration, program. Its purpose is to demonstrate that the use of managed-care principles can generate sufficient savings to enable the state to cover more than Medicaid eligible people. TennCare provides health coverage for 1.2 million low-income children, pregnant women and disabled Tennesseans with an annual budget of $7 billion.

Tennessee Medicare Health Insurance Program

Tennessee Commission On Aging and Disability, Andrew Jackson Building, 500 Deaderick Street - Suite 825, Nashville, TN 37243-0860, 615-741-2056; Mike Hann, Executive Director;

Summary of Medicare Program and Benefits: If you are looking for information on Medicare Supplemental Health Insurance in Tennessee or are new to Medicare and find the whole thing confusing, then we can help by directing your search to various insurance providers of this type of coverage, where you can find options and answers to all of your questions. All insurance companies have to follow Federal and State laws and offer standardized Medigap policies, and the plans must be clearly identified as Medicare Supplemental Health Insurance so you will easily be able to compare benefits.

Medigap insurance offers alternative plans and coverage that will fill the gaps of original Medicare plans. Medicare Plans A through L have different sets of benefits so you will need to evaluate your needs and choose the best plan for Tennessee Medicare supplemental health insurance. Costs can vary from different insurance companies, and as each company can decide which Medigap policies it wants to sell, it is important to know your particular requirements so you will be able to make comparisons.

Webpage: Tennessee Medicare Program.

Tennessee Department of Health: Commissioner: Susan R. Cooper, MSN, RN

425 Fifth Avenue North, Cordell Hull Building - Third Floor, Nashville, TN 37243, 615-741-3111;

Webpage: Tennessee Department of Health.

Tennessee State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP):

Tennessee Commission On Aging and Disability, Andrew Jackson Building, 500 Deaderick Street - Suite 825, Nashville, TN 37243-0860, 615-741-2056; Mike Hann, Executive Director;

Webpage: Tennessee Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP).

Summary of SHIP Program and Benefits: The Tennessee State Health Insurance Assistance Program is a statewide program that provides free and objective counseling and assistance to persons with questions or problems regarding Medicare and other related health insurances. In Tennessee, SHIP operates through the state's nine Area Agencies on Aging & Disability (AAADs). These agencies offer a variety of services besides SHIP, all aimed at helping persons who are elderly and/or have disabilities to live better lives. SHIP is funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the federal government under the Department of Health & Human Services. Every state, plus Washington, D.C. and two U.S. territories, has a SHIP. We work to give accurate and helpful information. When we are not able to answer a question or solve a problem, we refer to other agencies and resources. We do our best to give consumers the help that they need.

Tennessee State Uninsurable Risk Pool Program: Access Tenn

Cover Tenn / Access Tenn, 312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, Suite 2600, Nashville, TN 37243, 1-866-268-3786;

Webpage: Access Tenn: Uninsurable Risk Pool.

Summary of Uninsurable Risk Pool and Benefits: A state health insurance "risk pool" is a state-sponsored health insurance program that provides health insurance coverage to individuals who are unable to obtain health care due to a pre-existing medical condition. For many people with pre-existing conditions, state risk pools are the only available option.

AccessTN provides comprehensive health insurance for Tennesseans who are uninsurable due to pre-existing medical conditions. Three different plans are available with varying deductibles and participants can select the plan that is best for their situation. Members of AccessTN pay monthly premiums for comprehensive health coverage. Monthly premiums are based on current market rates. AccessTN also offers a premium assistance program for those members who need help paying premiums. The Access Tennessee Act requires that all administrators of health coverage participate in the funding necessary to support the operating losses of the high-risk health insurance pool. AccessTN is currently conducting this assessment.

Tennessee State COBRA Facts

COBRA Program issues should be directed to the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, as described above.

Webpage: Tennessee COBRA Insurance.

Summary of COBRA Program and Benefits: Tennessee Cobra Regulations guarantee continuation of coverage be offered to terminated employees by employers with 2-19 employees to offer COBRA for a period not greater than 3 months. Request for continuation of coverage must be given within 31 days.