TennCare Income Limits 2026: Tennessee Medicaid Chart by Household Size
Tennessee has not expanded Medicaid to all adults, and TennCare's 2026 reference guide has no group for adults without children. Children from age 1 to the 6th birthday qualify at 142% of the federal poverty level, $1,889 a month for one and $3,905 for a household of four; parents and caretaker relatives qualify at 100% ($1,330 and $2,750), and pregnant women and CoverKids children at 250%. TennCare also covers some parents above this limit; that limit is not in the sources used. Every figure below comes from the state agency's own chart, effective 2026 (the page prints no date), not from federal averages or the old Medicaid.gov table.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Charts and sources checked October 30, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Check your income
Enter the whole household's countable income. States count income with MAGI rules, so this is a starting point, not a decision.
Result
Your income is at or below Tennessee's chart amount for this group.
- Your income, a year
- $18,000
- Household size used in the chart
- 1
- Tennessee chart amount, a year, 142%
- $22,668
- Tennessee chart amount, a month
- $1,889
- Chart amount plus 5 percent of FPL, a year
- $23,466
This is not an eligibility decision. TennCare (Division of TennCare, Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration) decides what income counts (MAGI rules), who is in the household and the final result. Apply to find out: TennCare Connect.
Tennessee Medicaid income limit chart, 2026
Monthly and annual limits by household size for each group the TennCare (Division of TennCare, Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration) prints. Bold figures are printed by the state; italic figures are FedRateCalc's calculation (a monthly figure times 12, an annual figure divided by 12). The state chart effective date is 2026 (the page prints no date).
| Household size | Caretaker Relative (parents and caretaker relatives)100%Effective 2026 (the page prints no date) | Pregnant women250%Effective 2026 (the page prints no date) | Children from birth to the first birthday195%Effective 2026 (the page prints no date) | Children from age 1 to the 6th birthday142%Effective 2026 (the page prints no date) | Children from age 6 to the 19th birthday133%Effective 2026 (the page prints no date) | CoverKids (children under 19)250%Effective 2026 (the page prints no date) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,330 a month$15,960 a year | not listed | $2,594 a month$31,122 a year | $1,889 a month$22,664 a year | $1,769 a month$21,227 a year | $3,325 a month$39,900 a year |
| 2 | $1,804 a month$21,640 a year | $4,509 a month$54,100 a year | $3,517 a month$42,198 a year | $2,561 a month$30,729 a year | $2,399 a month$28,782 a year | $4,509 a month$54,100 a year |
| 3 | $2,277 a month$27,320 a year | $5,692 a month$68,300 a year | $4,440 a month$53,274 a year | $3,233 a month$38,795 a year | $3,028 a month$36,336 a year | $5,692 a month$68,300 a year |
| 4 | $2,750 a month$33,000 a year | $6,875 a month$82,500 a year | $5,363 a month$64,350 a year | $3,905 a month$46,860 a year | $3,658 a month$43,890 a year | $6,875 a month$82,500 a year |
| 5 | $3,224 a month$38,680 a year | $8,059 a month$96,700 a year | $6,286 a month$75,426 a year | $4,578 a month$54,926 a year | $4,288 a month$51,445 a year | $8,059 a month$96,700 a year |
| 6 | $3,697 a month$44,360 a year | $9,242 a month$110,900 a year | $7,209 a month$86,502 a year | $5,250 a month$62,992 a year | $4,917 a month$58,999 a year | $9,242 a month$110,900 a year |
| 7 | $4,170 a month$50,040 a year | $10,425 a month$125,100 a year | $8,132 a month$97,578 a year | $5,922 a month$71,057 a year | $5,547 a month$66,554 a year | $10,425 a month$125,100 a year |
| 8 | $4,644 a month$55,720 a year | $11,609 a month$139,300 a year | $9,055 a month$108,654 a year | $6,594 a month$79,123 a year | $6,176 a month$74,108 a year | $11,609 a month$139,300 a year |
- Caretaker Relative (parents and caretaker relatives): TennCare also covers some parents above this limit; that limit is not in the sources used. TennCare's community engagement page says Tennessee does cover some groups that are not usually eligible for Medicaid, such as parents whose income is too high to qualify for Medicaid but too low to afford health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace.
- Pregnant women: TennCare's pregnancy page lists this table from a household of 2 and says a pregnant woman is generally counted as a household of two (herself and her baby).
- TennCare's Eligibility Reference Guide page lists monthly and yearly income limits for 100%, 120%, 133%, 135%, 142%, 195%, 200%, 211% and 250% of the poverty level (a one-person household is $15,960 a year at 100%) and says to add $5,680 yearly for each additional person. The page prints no date; its amounts are the 2026 guideline.
- TennCare's pregnancy page lists an income limit table headed "TennCare Income Limit for Pregnant Women (2026)" from a household of 2 ($4,509 a month) and says a pregnant woman is generally counted as a household of two. The table matches the 250% pregnancy limit in the reference guide.
- TennCare's community engagement page says Tennessee does cover some groups that are not usually eligible for Medicaid, such as parents whose income is too high to qualify for Medicaid but too low to afford health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace; the number for that group is not in the sources used.
- The reference guide says Caretaker Relative coverage is available to parents and caretaker relatives of dependent children under age 18, or 18 and a full-time student for the parent to qualify, at 100% of the poverty level. The Medicaid.gov table of December 1, 2023 shows 84% as a converted dollar amount ($) for Tennessee parents; the 2026 guide's 100% is the figure used here.
Chart sources: TennCare: Eligibility Reference Guide; TennCare: Pregnant.
How Tennessee counts the 5 percent disregard
Federal rules tell states to subtract 5 percentage points of the poverty level from income for the eligibility group with the highest income standard. That is why some state charts print a percentage such as 133% and others print the total, such as 138%.
“Effective January 1, 2014, in determining the eligibility of an individual using MAGI-based income, a state must subtract an amount equivalent to 5 percentage points of the Federal poverty level for the applicable family size only to determine the eligibility of an individual for medical assistance under the eligibility group with the highest income standard using MAGI-based methodologies in the applicable Title of the Act, but not to determine eligibility for a particular eligibility group.”
The household size in the chart for a pregnant woman counts the children she is expected to deliver:
“In the case of determining the family size of a pregnant woman, the pregnant woman is counted as herself plus the number of children she is expected to deliver. In the case of determining the family size of other individuals who have a pregnant woman in their household, the pregnant woman is counted, at State option, as either 1 or 2 person(s) or as herself plus the number of children she is expected to deliver.”
In Tennessee's chart, the amounts for Caretaker Relative (parents and caretaker relatives); Pregnant women; Children from birth to the first birthday; Children from age 1 to the 6th birthday; Children from age 6 to the 19th birthday; CoverKids (children under 19) are the plain percentage. The checker above adds 5 percent of the 2026 guideline to those amounts as its own calculation to show income that is just over the printed amount.
Tennessee Medicaid programs and expansion
Tennessee has not expanded Medicaid to all adults at 133% of the federal poverty level. Medicaid.gov's table, as of December 1, 2023, shows "No" for Tennessee in the column for expansion to adults, and TennCare's community engagement page says the requirement applies almost entirely to adults who receive Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion, which Tennessee does not have. TennCare's reference guide lists no group for adults without children.
- TennCare Medicaid. TennCare's Eligibility Reference Guide lists the Caretaker Relative category at 100% of the poverty level, pregnant women at 250%, and low-income children at 195% (to the first birthday), 142% (age 1 to the 6th birthday) and 133% (age 6 to the 19th birthday), none with a resource limit.
- CoverKids. Available to children under age 19 and the unborn children of women who are not eligible under another TennCare category, at or below 250% of the poverty level, with no resource limit. The TennCare pregnancy page says that if you are not eligible for TennCare, you may qualify for CoverKids.
How to apply for Medicaid in Tennessee
TennCare says you can apply for TennCare at tenncareconnect.tn.gov, or call TennCare Connect for free at 855-259-0701 to get help over the phone, or go to a DHS office in any of Tennessee's 95 counties. You can also apply through the Marketplace at HealthCare.gov, which sends your information to the state agency if you may qualify.
Tennessee Medicaid changes in 2027
TennCare says its members will not experience an impact from the work or community engagement requirements: the requirement applies almost entirely to adults in the Medicaid expansion, which Tennessee does not have, and the small number of parents or caretakers it does apply to automatically meet it based on the income information TennCare has.
“In Tennessee, this only applies to a small number of people. If you are one of them, you automatically meet the work or community engagement requirements based on the income information we have on file.”
“The community engagement requirement applies almost entirely to adults who receive Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion, which Tennessee does not have.”
“TennCare does not cover all adults the way Medicaid expansion states do. However, Tennessee does cover some groups that are not usually eligible for Medicaid, such as parents whose income is too high to qualify for Medicaid but too low to afford health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace. The community engagement requirement applies to these parents, but they automatically meet the new community engagement requirements and therefore they will not experience any impact.”
On the statute's wording, the requirement applies to individuals in the expansion adult group, and to individuals in a waiver group with coverage equivalent to minimum essential coverage who are 19 to 64, not pregnant, not entitled to or enrolled in Medicare and not otherwise eligible under the State plan. TennCare's own page says the only members subject to the new requirement are certain parents or caretakers whose incomes are above the federal minimum wage amount ($580 a month). This is FedRateCalc's reading of the statute together with TennCare's statement; the state decides who is covered.
The federal law behind these changes, Public Law 119-21, is explained with its exemptions and dates on the Medicaid income limits page. The income limits in the table above do not change because of it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Tennessee Medicaid income limit in 2026?
Tennessee has not expanded Medicaid to all adults, and TennCare's 2026 reference guide has no group for adults without children. Children from age 1 to the 6th birthday qualify at 142% of the federal poverty level, $1,889 a month for one and $3,905 for a household of four; parents and caretaker relatives qualify at 100% ($1,330 and $2,750), and pregnant women and CoverKids children at 250%. TennCare also covers some parents above this limit; that limit is not in the sources used.
Did Tennessee expand Medicaid?
Tennessee has not expanded Medicaid to all adults at 133% of the federal poverty level. Medicaid.gov's table, as of December 1, 2023, shows "No" for Tennessee in the column for expansion to adults, and TennCare's community engagement page says the requirement applies almost entirely to adults who receive Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion, which Tennessee does not have. TennCare's reference guide lists no group for adults without children.
How do I apply for Medicaid in Tennessee?
TennCare says you can apply for TennCare at tenncareconnect.tn.gov, or call TennCare Connect for free at 855-259-0701 to get help over the phone, or go to a DHS office in any of Tennessee's 95 counties. You can also apply through the Marketplace at HealthCare.gov, which sends your information to the state agency if you may qualify.
What changes for Tennessee Medicaid in 2027?
TennCare says its members will not experience an impact from the work or community engagement requirements: the requirement applies almost entirely to adults in the Medicaid expansion, which Tennessee does not have, and the small number of parents or caretakers it does apply to automatically meet it based on the income information TennCare has. The charts on this page are 2026 charts; the community engagement requirement and six-month renewals are separate from the income limits.
Do the same limits apply to Tennessee seniors and people with disabilities?
No. Medicaid for people who are aged, blind or disabled uses different income and resource rules from the MAGI groups in this chart. Ask the TennCare (Division of TennCare, Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration) or see Medicare vs Medicaid on this site.
How often does Tennessee update its Medicaid income limits?
The charts follow the federal poverty guidelines, which HHS updates each year, and Tennessee's chart took effect 2026 (the page prints no date). FedRateCalc will look for Tennessee's 2027 chart after HHS publishes the 2027 guidelines.
Related pages
FedRateCalc is not a government site and cannot decide eligibility. Charts change when the state updates them; confirm with the TennCare (Division of TennCare, Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration) before relying on a figure.
Sources
All sources are government pages, read October 30, 2026. The Medicaid.gov table is dated December 1, 2023 and is used only as a cross-check.
- Medicaid.gov: Medicaid, CHIP & Basic Health Program Eligibility Levels (table as of December 1, 2023)
- TennCare: Eligibility Reference Guide
- TennCare: Pregnant
- TennCare: Information about Community Engagement (Notices page)
- 42 CFR 435.603, application of modified adjusted gross income (eCFR)
- 42 CFR 435.119, adults at or below 133 percent FPL (eCFR)
- 42 U.S.C. 1396a, United States Code 2024 Edition (govinfo)
- Public Law 119-21, sections 71107 and 71119 (govinfo)
- HealthCare.gov: Getting Medicaid & CHIP coverage