TennCare’s Critical Role in Complex Home Care

As a lifelong Tennessean, Brandi McCutchen embodies the heart of Southern values with her quintessential grit, grace, and unwavering devotion to family. Her 24-year-old son, Brylee, affectionately called “Smiley Brylee,” was born with cerebral palsy and has needed full-time care his entire life. Brandi loves her son beyond measure, sharing “he’s an angel here on Earth. The way I see it, I’m lucky to have him.” 

Brylee’s needs are complex. Brylee needs assistance with every aspect of his daily life, including eating, breathing, using the restroom, and navigating the world safely. He depends on a ventilator and tracheostomy to breathe and a feeding tube to sustain his body – all of which require constant supervision. Brylee lights up at Alabama football games (Roll Tide!), never misses an episode of The Price is Right, and dotes on his loyal German Sheperd, Isa. 

For Brylee, access to healthcare is the difference between life and death. With TennCare, Brylee receives 24/7 private duty nursing, which keeps him alive, comfortable, and well-supported. TennCare keeps Brylee from entering an expensive institutional setting. Instead, he can receive his care in the comfort of his home, surrounded by his family.   

Brandi does not mince words when it comes to why Medicaid matters: “Come live a day in my life and do what you’re expecting me to do,” she says. “Then you’ll see what it’s like.” Without TennCare, Brandi would be forced to go it alone— all without the support Brylee needs and deserves. Medicaid is a lifeline for people who cannot care for themselves and who depend on these essential services to live. A cut in Medicaid’s funding will put real lives at stake.