In Tennessee, Medicaid goes by the name TennCare. The program is run by the Division of TennCare, part of the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration. It pays for health care for eligible children, pregnant women, parents, older adults and people with disabilities. Our directory lists six local offices, from Memphis in the far southwest to Smithville on the Highland Rim. These are places where you can ask questions and get help with paperwork. This page explains how the system fits together so you know where to go before you leave home.
How TennCare Is Organised Across Tennessee
TennCare began in 1994 as one of the first statewide Medicaid managed care programs in the country. Instead of paying doctors one claim at a time, the state contracts with managed care organizations, usually called MCOs. Each member picks a health plan, and that plan builds the network of doctors, hospitals and pharmacies. BlueCare Tennessee and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan are two of the plans operating in the state. The plans offered to you are listed when you enroll.
The split of duties matters. The state decides who is eligible and who stays eligible. The health plan decides which in-network providers you see and handles daily care questions, such as prior authorizations and rides to appointments. A local office is mostly a place to ask questions, hand in documents and get pointed to the right agency.
A common mistake is calling your health plan about an eligibility problem, or calling the state about a pharmacy denial. Each call sends you in a circle. Remember the rule of thumb: coverage questions go to the state, care questions go to your plan.
Most applications are now filed online, by phone or by mail through TennCare Connect, the state's eligibility system. You can also apply through the federal Health Insurance Marketplace, which forwards Medicaid-eligible applications to the state. A visit to a local office is optional, but it helps if you do not have a computer, need a form explained, or want to confirm that a document was received.
Six Medicaid Office Locations in Tennessee, West to Middle
Our listings fall into two of the state's three Grand Divisions. Three are in West Tennessee and three are in Middle Tennessee. The Grand Divisions matter because health plan networks and provider availability are organised around them. Always call ahead, because office hours, appointment rules and the services offered at each site can change.
West Tennessee. The Memphis Tennessee Medicaid Office is at 3230 Jackson Avenue, phone 901-320-7200, in Shelby County. Memphis is one of the largest cities in the state, so expect more foot traffic here than at any other site on this page. Farther east along Interstate 40, the Lexington Tennessee Medicaid Office is at 37 College Dr, phone 731-968-3652, in Henderson County. Near the Tennessee River, the Savannah Tennessee Medicaid Office is at 1035 Wayne Road, phone 731-925-4968, in Hardin County.
Middle Tennessee. The Franklin Tennessee Medicaid Office is at 203 Beasley Drive, phone 615-790-5502, in Williamson County, just south of Nashville. The Pulaski Tennessee Medicaid Office is at 219 Village Square, phone 931-424-4001, in Giles County, close to the Alabama line. The Smithville Tennessee Medicaid Office is at 1020 West Broad Street, phone 615-597-4725, in DeKalb County, in the hills near Center Hill Lake.
There is no listing in East Tennessee in our database. Residents of Knoxville, Chattanooga or the Tri-Cities area should apply online or by phone, or ask a county health department or community health center about local enrollment help. Applying through TennCare does not depend on where you live in the state.
Memphis, the Nashville Suburbs and Rural Tennessee Compared
The experience of dealing with a Medicaid office differs a lot depending on where you live. Shelby County has the state's biggest concentration of hospitals, clinics and safety-net providers, so Memphis residents often have more choices of doctor and more community groups that help with applications. The trade-off is volume. Waiting for a phone line or an in-person visit can take longer, so going early in the day and bringing everything you need usually works better.
Williamson County is one of the more affluent counties in the state, and many Franklin households earn too much for standard TennCare. That does not mean the Franklin office sits idle. Children, pregnant women, seniors in long-term care and people with disabilities may still qualify, and families who lose a job can qualify quickly. The office also gets questions from people moving from other states.
The rural sites tell a different story. Lexington, Savannah, Pulaski and Smithville serve county seats where the nearest hospital may be a small community facility and the nearest specialist may be a long drive away. In those areas, an office visit can matter more because broadband is patchy and some residents prefer to hand papers to a person. If you live in a rural county, ask your health plan about non-emergency transportation. TennCare plans offer rides to covered medical visits, and rural members use this benefit often.
One practical tip applies everywhere. If you live outside the county where you work or see a doctor, your office is the one tied to your home address, so make sure the state has your current mailing address. Most missed renewals happen because a notice went to an old address.
Who Qualifies for TennCare and What the State Requires
Tennessee has not expanded Medicaid to all low-income adults under the Affordable Care Act. That means a healthy adult without children, who is not pregnant and does not have a disability, generally does not qualify no matter how low the income. Coverage is tied to categories. The main groups include:
- Children, who may qualify through TennCare or through CoverKids, Tennessee's children's health insurance program
- Pregnant women, including coverage that continues after the baby is born
- Parents and caretaker relatives with very low household income
- Adults aged 65 and older and people with disabilities, subject to income and asset rules
- Residents who need nursing home care or home and community-based services, including the CHOICES and Employment and Community First CHOICES programs
Income limits change each year with federal guidelines, so check current figures with TennCare rather than relying on an old number. Applicants must be Tennessee residents and either US citizens or qualified immigrants. Seniors with Medicare may also get help with premiums or cost-sharing through the Medicare Savings Programs, which TennCare administers.
When you apply, bring or upload proof of identity, Social Security numbers for everyone applying, recent pay stubs or other income records, and documents showing immigration status if relevant. For long-term care, expect to provide bank statements and information about property. If the state mails a request for more information, answer it by the deadline printed on the notice, because that is the most common reason applications are denied.
Medicaid in Tennessee is administered by the state health and human services agency, providing health coverage for eligible low-income residents through a combination of fee-for-service and managed care delivery systems tailored to the state's population needs.
Medicaid Office locations are available in 6 cities across Tennessee. They are spread across 6 counties.
Cities with the highest concentration include Lexington, Franklin, Memphis, which have the largest Medicaid caseloads in the state and dedicated eligibility offices to serve high-need urban populations.
Residents of Tennessee can apply for Medicaid online through the state's health benefits portal or health exchange, by calling the Medicaid agency's toll-free number, or by visiting a local eligibility office with the required documentation.
Franklin Tennessee Medicaid Office
Lexington Tennessee Medicaid Office
Memphis Tennessee Medicaid Office
Pulaski Tennessee Medicaid Office
Savannah Tennessee Medicaid Office
Smithville Tennessee Medicaid Office
Residents of Tennessee who currently receive Medicaid should complete their annual renewal on time to avoid a gap in coverage. Most states send renewal notices by mail and email, and online renewal is typically the fastest method to maintain uninterrupted healthcare coverage.
Browse Medicaid Office by county across Tennessee to find the nearest location.
Before You Visit a Medicaid Office in Tennessee
A short visit goes better with preparation. Start by calling the office you plan to visit. The numbers for Franklin (615-790-5502), Memphis (901-320-7200), Pulaski (931-424-4001), Savannah (731-925-4968), Lexington (731-968-3652) and Smithville (615-597-4725) are listed in our directory. Ask whether you need an appointment, which documents to bring and whether the staff can help with the type of question you have. Some locations handle eligibility paperwork, while others may refer you elsewhere for related benefits such as SNAP or cash assistance, which are run by the Tennessee Department of Human Services rather than TennCare.
Bring a government photo ID, your Social Security card or number, proof of address, and income records from the last month or two. If you are applying for a child, bring the child's birth certificate or Social Security number. If you already have TennCare, bring the most recent letter you received, since it shows your case details and any deadlines. Keep copies of everything you hand over, and ask for a receipt or write down the date and the name of the person who helped you.
Plan around travel too. In counties such as Hardin County and DeKalb County, the nearest office may be a long drive from outlying communities, so a phone call or online application can save a day. In Shelby County, expect busier waiting rooms and allow extra time for parking and check-in.