Funding by state, answered plainly

Does Medicaid pay for supported homes in Tennessee?

How a supported-home bed is funded in Tennessee — with the official agency to verify.

Yes — in Tennessee, Medicaid pays the support services in a supported home through Employment and Community First (ECF) CHOICES (the current IDD path for new enrollment) and TennCare CHOICES for aging/physical disability. It generally does not pay room and board (the resident’s SSI usually covers that), and Medicare does not pay for a supported-home bed. Verify eligibility and the waitlist with TennCare.

The Tennessee waiver that pays

In Tennessee, the residential support services in a supported home are paid by Employment and Community First (ECF) CHOICES (the current IDD path for new enrollment) and TennCare CHOICES for aging/physical disability. Medicaid funds the services; the resident’s SSI pays the room and board. This two-stream model is how a bed gets funded — see Does Medicaid pay for supported homes?

Verify: TennCare — www.tn.gov/tenncare.html. Full per-state reference: Medicaid waivers by state.

How to apply (ECF CHOICES)

Tennessee's main I/DD program, ECF CHOICES (adults 21+), runs through the Department of Disability and Aging (DDA). Apply via the online self-referral at perlss.tenncare.tn.gov/externalreferral, or your DDA regional office: West 1-866-372-5709, Middle 1-800-654-4839, East 1-888-531-9876. Enrollment is capacity-managed, so refer early.

Source: TennCare / DDA ECF CHOICES referral.

Where to start

Contact TennCare to request an eligibility assessment and apply for the waiver, or ask a care manager or hospital discharge planner to start it. For free options counseling, call your local ADRC via the Eldercare Locator, 800-677-1116. In a crisis, call or text 988.

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Related

About Mai Heaven: this page is educational, not eligibility advice. We build small, permanent supported homes — also called group homes — for adults who are hard to place. Join the waiting list and we’ll reach out when a home opens near you. Need help now? Call or text 988, or dial 211.