Health Care Coverage: Low-income Families

A family with a parent or relative caring for a child under age 19 may receive health care coverage through Medicaid if certain income and resource requirements are met. DHS looks at a family’s income and compares it with the amount the family pays for basic needs such as rent, utilities, child care, and work-related expenses. Resources such as cash on hand, money in the bank and value of vehicles are also considered.

Children's Health Insurance (TennCare) in Tennessee and Children's Medicaid assists low-income families with children allowing prioritized access to subsidized or free healthcare for them.  Information on access steps and steps to determine if you qualify, as well as, the on-line application can be accessed at TennCare

TennCare and Children’s Medicaid both offer many benefits:

There are many public benefits and subsidies available locally that you may be eligible to receive, many of which can be accessed in the links of this site.  

Additionally, many benefits services and resources can be accessed through the Benefits Site of the State of Tennessee at Tennessee.gov, which is the official eGovernment website for the State of Tennessee serving as the primary resource for Tennessee web-based services.