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Medicaid Planning · Tennessee

Tennessee Long-term-care Medicaid eligibility

Long-term-care Medicaid eligibility rules for Tennessee.

Published: Not yet published. Last checked: September 5, 2026.

Income limits

Current institutional Medicaid income limit

$2,982 per month

Applies to the applicant under the institutional long-term care pathway for institutional long-term-care services. This is a cap. Details: individual applicant.

Source: TennCare CHOICES eligibility limits [state-medicaid-agency] — 2026 income and resource figures

Asset limits

Current individual resource limit

$2,000

Applies to the applicant under the institutional long-term care pathway for institutional long-term-care services. This is a cap. Details: individual applicant.

Source: TennCare CHOICES eligibility limits [state-medicaid-agency] — 2026 income and resource figures

Community spouse resource allowance (CSRA)

Community-spouse resource allowance

$32,532 minimum to $162,660 maximum

Applies to the community spouse under the spousal impoverishment pathway for long-term-care services. This is a range. Details: one-half of combined countable resources, subject to hearing or court adjustment.

Source: TennCare Resource Assessment manual [state-medicaid-agency] — Dated January 5, 2026; figures current January 2026

Monthly maintenance needs allowance (MMMNA)

Community-spouse minimum monthly maintenance-needs allowance

$2,705 per month

Applies to the community spouse under the spousal impoverishment pathway for post-eligibility long-term-care calculation. This is a minimum. Details: institutionalized applicant with a community spouse.

Source: CMS 2026 minimum maintenance-needs standards [cms] — Minimum maintenance-needs amount effective July 1, 2026 Additional authority: TennCare Post-Eligibility Treatment of Income manual [state-medicaid-agency] — Dated October 1, 2025; state formula updated by the July 1, 2026 federal minimum

Community-spouse maximum monthly maintenance-needs allowance

$4,066.50 per month

Applies to the community spouse under the spousal impoverishment pathway for post-eligibility long-term-care calculation. This is a maximum. Details: institutionalized applicant with a community spouse.

Source: CMS 2026 SSI and January spousal-impoverishment standards [cms] — SSI, spousal-impoverishment maximum, and home-equity standards effective January 1, 2026 Additional authority: TennCare Post-Eligibility Treatment of Income manual [state-medicaid-agency] — Dated October 1, 2025; state formula updated by the July 1, 2026 federal minimum

Home-equity limits

Home-equity limit

Source unavailable. Check with the state Medicaid agency.

Applies to the applicant under the institutional long-term care pathway for long-term-care services. This is a cap. Details: applicant subject to Tennessee's home-equity rule.

State Medicaid agency

Sources

Methodology & sources

Checked at least annually and whenever the state or CMS publishes new long-term-care eligibility figures.

General information, not legal advice.