Medicaid Covers US: Tennessee

Maria is a single mother and when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, her treatments made it impossible for her to continue to work full-time causing her to lose her employer-sponsored health insurance. Fortunately, she was approved for TennCare Medicaid to take her through the rest of her treatment.   

Jessica and her husband are the parents of three children. One of their daughters, Clare, has a rare genetic disorder that requires extensive, ongoing care. They hope she will be able to get covered through the state’s new Katie Beckett Medicaid waiver because her private health insurance isn’t enough to cover everything she needs. 

Dr. Pais is the Director of the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Clinic at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. About half of his patients are covered by TennCare Medicaid and get the same high-quality care as his privately insured patients.

In 2013, Debbie had just moved back to Tennessee and was uninsured. She felt a lump in her breast and, because she was eligible for TennCare Medicaid through the Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, she was able to get the lifesaving care she needed.

In 2017, Michael was uninsured and diagnosed with testicular cancer. Fortunately, he was eligible for TennCare Medicaid, and his health insurance covered him throughout his treatment.

Reverend Larry is a pastor who sees the importance of health care every day. He knows there are community members who are unable to get the care they need because they don’t have health insurance, and he believes society must do better to care for the most vulnerable among us. 

Dr. Borinstein is a pediatric oncologist. About half of his patients are covered by Tennessee’s Medicaid program, TennCare, which allows them to get lifesaving cancer care. 

Dr. Shattuck runs a house call practice where providers go to the homes of patients who are unable to travel to a clinic. The majority of his patients are covered by TennCare Medicaid, which makes it possible for them to get the care they need. 

Lesia has been unable to work because of her failing eyesight and painful fibromyalgia. But she is also ineligible for TennCare Medicaid, so is left without access to the care she needs to save her sight.