Many Tennessee families, including families living with Autism, rely on TennCare, the state of Tennessee’s Medicaid program, which provides health care for approximately 1.7 million Tennesseans. Beginning April 1, 2023, TennCare members began going through the state and federally-required redetermination process to determine continued eligibility for TennCare. TennCare’s priorities during this time of transition include minimizing gaps in healthcare coverage and therefore started a campaign to ensure that information about the process was shared by organizations who provide services and support to people who receive TennCare benefits.
So what is the renewal process all about? TennCare reviews every member’s eligibility over a twelve-month period. This is a yearly process, but it has not occurred in three years due to the Covid-19 public health emergency. When it’s your month to renew, TennCare will try to renew your healthcare coverage using data they already have to attempt to auto-renew members who continue to meet TennCare eligibility requirements. If approved, you will get a letter saying your health coverage will continue. If TennCare cannot auto-renew your coverage using existing data, you will receive a renewal packet by mail or electronic notification to renew on the TennCare Connect portal. You will only receive an email if you selected to be notified electronically.
What’s in the packet and when should I receive it? Renewals started on April 1st and will continue through March 2024. This would be a good time to verify your address with TennCare, find your renewal date, and open and respond to all mail from TennCare. The renewal packet will include information you’ve already given to TennCare. To complete your renewal packet, review the information they have and tell them what has changed. You must complete your TennCare renewal packet by the date listed in your letter. Below is a table that shows how many packets the State is planning to send out by month.
According to this chart which was submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, TennCare expects to have sent renewal packets to 100% of their enrollees by March 2024. (April is #1 on the above chart.)
What if I don’t get my renewal packet?
- Check your email to see if you received an email notification. Check your junk mail and spam folders to ensure that the email was not prevented from going to your inbox.
- Check your TennCare Connect account portal to see if you’ve already been approved.
- If a person does not have a permanent address, we strongly recommend that they sign up for a TennCare Connect account (if they have a phone or computer). Here’s a video that explains how to find TennCare Connect: Apply for TennCare – YouTube
- People CAN receive their packets at a P.O. box. You need to ensure TennCare has the correct address on file.
- You can call TennCare at 855-259-0701 to change your address, or make changes on TennCare Connect.
- You WILL be able to renew your TennCare on-line and on TennCare Connect, but only when it’s your designated time to do so.
How do I know what my benefits are or if I qualify? There are several different categories of Medicaid eligibility. Below is an image that gives an overview.
Individuals with autism may be eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). If they already have SSI, then they will not have to renew their TennCare; they are automatically re-enrolled. The only way a person receiving SSI might experience changes to their TennCare is if they have experienced some changes to their SSI.
The Tennessee Justice Center helps folks sort out eligibility, especially for those who are on the cusp (i.e. have been told their income is too high to qualify), and families who have at least one member who has high medical needs/expenses. If anyone has any particular questions about your eligibility, you can contact the Tennessee Justice Center at (615) 255-0331 or email info@tnjustice.org. They’d love to help you. By the way, they also help people to connect to food benefits like SNAP, WIC, etc.)
TennCare has also produced a ToolKit to assist individuals and organizations with supporting TennCare recipients with renewal packet information.
If you need more information or additional resources, please don’t hesitate to call us at Tennessee Disability Pathfinder. Our helpline 1-800-640-4636 is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. CT to 4:30 p.m. CT. You can also contact us via email at tnpathfinder@vumc.org, and our website, TNPathfinder.org, is available 24/7 with access to our extensive directory of services.