The BMS Project

TENNESSEE & FEDERAL

Financial Assistance Programs

STATE:
 
TennCare is the state of Tennessee’s managed Medicaid agency. We serve more than 1.4 million Tennesseans including low-income individuals such as pregnant women, children, caretaker relatives of young children and older adults and adults with disabilities. Our continuing mission is to improve lives through high-quality, cost-effective care to support our vision of a healthier Tennessee. Accomplishing this mission and vision requires a partnership between the provider community, stakeholders, advocates, families, and TennCare employees.
 
Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

https://www.tn.gov/behavioral-health/housing/disability-benefits.html

This website includes telephone contacts for regional and local offices.  

 

https://www.tn.gov/tenncare/members-applicants/how-do-i-apply-for-tenncare.html

 

This site will answer most questions about TennCare.  It provides forms to complete.  And more.  It is a good place to start the process of acquiring TennCare health care coverage.  Several related sites may be located by beginning with this one.  Here are some of the others:

 

Cover Kids 

https://www.tn.gov/coverkids/coverkids/application.html

 

Orientation to TennCare—Medicaid

https://www.tn.gov/tenncare/members-applicants/eligibility/tenncare-medicaid.html

 

Resources for TennCare Members/Applicants

https://www.tn.gov/tenncare/members-applicants/member-applicant.html

 

INSURANCE CARRIERS IN THE NASHVILLE AREA

As a first-step to identifying which doctors and medical facilities will accept your insurance, you’ll find below a listing of contact numbers for several major insurance companies.

Aetna Behavioral Health Member Support 1-800-424-4660

Amerigroup–Medicaid & CHIP 1-800-454-373

Blue Cross/Blue Shield 1-855-CRISIS-1 OR 1-855-274-7471

TENNESSEE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS HOTLINE 1-855-274-7471 This is number serves everyone, regardless of insurance status. For emergencies, it is a valuable resource.

Notes:

  • We recommend that you contact the number on the back of your insurance card to confirm the carrier with which your insurance is associated.

  • The name of the company, such as Aetna, does not necessarily tell you what coverage you have. Your coverage depends on the plan that your employer or other buyer of the plan has purchased.

  • Usually, Mental Health & Substance Abuse Pre-certification is a separate contact number and can be found on the back of your insurance card.

FEDERAL – Social Security income assistance programs are described below.  An individual may file on their own, or a private disability services attorney may be engaged, to represent the client and escort the client through the involved process.  If an attorney is engaged the attorney usually earns a percentage portion of back-pay from time of the start of disability when a benefit is retroactively granted.  Otherwise, no additional fees are payable to the attorney. In the case of low income applicants, legal aid assistance may be applied for.  See “Legal Advice” on this site. 

Social Security –  The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs provide assistance to people with disabilities (SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR):  https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/disability/

Social Income Assistance Programs are as follows:
  • Social Security Disability Income – Living expense assistance for persons that have paid into and funded their Social Security account. 
  • Social Security Supplemental Income, (“SSI”) – Living expense assistance for persons that have not worked for a number of years and that have not funded their social security account.