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Home→Agencies→Medicaid Estate Recovery→Tennessee

Medicaid Estate Recovery in Tennessee

Tennessee's Medicaid program is TennCare. TennCare recovers what it paid for long-term care services — nursing facility care and home and community-based care under the CHOICES program — from the estate of a member who received that care at age 55 or older. Recovery happens only after death and only when no waiver or undue hardship applies.

OverviewWhen someone dies

Medicaid Recovery

Tennessee

tn.gov/tenncare/legal/estate-recovery.html→

Administering agency

Division of TennCare — Estate Recovery

Phone866-389-8444
WebsiteVisit website →

Authority

Tenn. Code 71-5-116

Verified Jul 2026

Medicaid Estate Recovery in Tennessee: key facts

Recovery scope
Long-term care services TennCare paid for under CHOICES Groups 1, 2, or 3 — nursing facility care and home and community-based services.
Who is subject
Members who received CHOICES long-term care at age 55 or older. Recovery is sought only after the member has died.
Recovery waived
While a surviving spouse is living, and while there is a surviving child under 21 or a child who is blind or disabled.
Undue hardship
Recognized for an estate that is the sole income-producing asset of the survivors (such as a family farm or business); for a sibling caregiver who lawfully resided in the home for at least 1 year before the member's admission to the institution and has lived there continuously since; and for a son or daughter caregiver who did the same for at least 2 years. The caregiver hardship ends if the caregiver moves out, sells the property, or dies.

Governing law: Tenn. Code 71-5-116

Frequently asked questions

No. TennCare estate recovery applies to long-term care services — nursing facility care and home and community-based care under the CHOICES program — that the member received at age 55 or older. It does not recover ordinary medical care.

When someone dies

Steps after a death in Tennessee

5-step process for Division of TennCare — Estate Recovery.

View details →
SimplyTrustSimplyTrust Editorial·Updated July 14, 2026

Sources

  • tn.gov
  • law.justia.com

Data sourced from Medicaid Estate Recovery in Tennessee primary sources (3 pages reviewed). How we research.

Medicaid Recovery

Tennessee

tn.gov/tenncare/legal/estate-recovery.html→

Administering agency

Division of TennCare — Estate Recovery

Phone866-389-8444
WebsiteVisit website →

Authority

Tenn. Code 71-5-116

Verified Jul 2026
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