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CHOICES Program

TennCare CHOICES in Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) is TennCare's program for seniors and adults with physical disabilities.  LTSS offer help doing everyday activities that you may no longer be able to do for yourself as you grow older, or if you have a physical disability....things like bathing, dressing, getting around your home, preparing meals, or doing household chores.  LTSS include care in a nursing home.  LTSS also include certain services to help a person remain at home or in the community or in a residential place like Assisted Living Facilities.  Services to help a person stay at home or in the community are called Home and Community-Based Servcies (HCBS).

To Qualify for CHOICES

To qualify for and remain in CHOICES Groups 1 and 2, you must:

  • Need the level of care provided in a nursing home; AND
  • Qualify for Medicaid long-term services and supports.

To qualify for Medicaid long-term services and supports:

  1. Your income can't be more than $2,199 per month (If it is, you may be able to set up a Qualifying Income Trust)
  2. The toal value of things you own can't be more than $2,000 (The home where you live doesn't count)
  3. You can't have given away or sold anything for less than what it's worth in the last five (5) years.

To qualify for and remain in CHOICES Group 3, you must:

  • Be "at risk" of needing the level of care provided in a nursing home unless you receive home care; AND
  • Be getting SSI (Supplemental Security Income) payments from the Social Security Administration.

There are three CHOICES Groups:

CHOICES Group 1 is for people of all ages who receive nursing home care. 

CHOICES Group 2 is for adults (age 21 and older) with a physical disablility and seniors (age 65 and older) who qualify to receive nursing home care, but choose to receive home care services instead.

CHOICES Group 3 is for adults (age 21 and older) with a disablity and seniors (age 65 and older) who don't qualify for nursing home care, but need a more moderate package of home care services to delay or prevent the need for nursing home care.

To enroll in CHOICES and receive home care services:

  1. Your TennCare health plan (or Managed Care Organization) must be able to meet your needs safely at home; AND
  2. If you qualify for nursing home care, the cost of your home care can't be more than the cost of nursing home care.  The cost of your home care includes any home health or private duty nursing care that you need.  If you don't qualify for nursing home care, but are "at risk" of needing nursing home level of care, the cost of your CHOICES home care can't be more than $15,000 per year.  That doesn't include the cost of any minor home modifications you may need.

For more information about the CHOICES program:

If you have TennCare, you can call your TennCare health plan (MCO) the number is on your TennCare card

If you don't have TennCare, contact your local Area Agency on Aging & Disability (AAAD) at 1 (866) 836-6678.

If interested in applying please use the online Screening Tool.