Finding Help after Coverage Ends

TennCare Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) | Beneficiary Support System

Nora* called the Beneficiary Support System (BSS) with a simple question: Do I still have TennCare?

Nora used to have TennCare through a program called CoverKids. CoverKids is an important resource for many Tennesseans, offering insurance to pregnant women and children ages 18 and under who meet income and residency requirements.

But CoverKids coverage for a pregnant enrollee ends 60 days after the baby is born. Nora did not know this. After 60-days, her coverage ended.

A BSS team member, Freeman, took Nora’s call and carefully reviewed her situation. Freeman checked if Nora could get TennCare another way. Unfortunately, Nora did not qualify for another TennCare category at that time. For some programs, this might have been the end of the conversation. But for the Beneficiary Support System (BSS), it was just the beginning.

Nora’s primary concern was not herself—it was her newborn baby. She needed help getting essential baby supplies. Understanding the urgency of her situation, BSS looked for community-based resources local for Nora.

The BSS found two Nashville organizations that could support Nora and her baby:

• The Nashville Diaper Connection – a nonprofit that helps families in the greater Nashville area get diapers and other essential baby items. This includes items that are not covered by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Women, Infants & Children Program (WIC).
• Little Sprouts at the Hispanic Family Foundation – a program that supports Latino families with young children and provides help in a way that fits their language and culture.

Nora speaks Spanish and is not fluent in English. This meant that the BSS needed to modify their standard outreach and support to make sure Nora could fully understand and participate in her case. The BSS’s commitment to appropriate service means that language is not a barrier to access. BSS used a professional phone interpreter service called LanguageLine.

With LanguageLine providing real-time Spanish interpretation, DRT’s Beneficiary Support System (BSS) did more than share names and phone numbers. BSS guided Nora step by step through both organizations’ websites. They explained how to find the proper forms, how to ask for services, and what information she would need to have on hand.

BSS also gave Nora the direct phone numbers for both organizations and told her how to reach Spanish-language support lines.

This kind of hands-on help is what BSS does best. Instead of leaving Tennesseans to figure things out alone, the BSS helps them understand the next steps and feel confident to take them.

Nora’s story shows that even when the answer is “no” for TennCare coverage, support and resources can still be found. Disability Rights Tennessee’s Beneficiary Support System (BSS) team works to connect individuals and families with the support they need. Whether the barrier is eligibility, language, or simply not knowing where to turn, BSS is committed to meeting callers where they are and helping them find a path forward.

For Nora’s family, that help mattered.

*Nora is a pseudonym