TennCare Unlawfully Terminates Coverage for Three Rural Tennessee Children

Georgia* lives in East Tennessee with her husband and their three kids.

The family keeps busy. “It’s chaos,” Georgia laughs. “My husband and I are nonstop—we both work full-time. I’m actually on the way to my son’s basketball game right now.”

Georgia and her husband work hard to give their kids a joyful childhood. She reflects on the journey that brought her here: “My life growing up was very different from what my kids have now. The experiences my kids are getting? I’m experiencing them for the first time too.”

In the fall of 2025, Georgia received a letter from TennCare informing her that her children’s healthcare coverage was ending. The notice arrived at a moment when her family was already stretched thin.

“To be honest, I cried when I got that letter. It was complete devastation,” she recalls. “I lost my mom in 2023 and my dad in 2025, and I was still paying off their funerals. I knew I couldn’t afford to add my kids to my work insurance and still keep up with my mortgage.”

Georgia’s kids all receive consistent medical care. Her youngest, born with craniosynostosis, has undergone two surgeries to correct the shape of his skull. Her oldest has scoliosis and is closely monitored by his pediatrician. Georgia is also working closely with specialists to determine the cause of her daughter’s recent fainting spells. All three have been insured by CoverKids their entire lives.

The coverage has meant everything to Georgia and her husband: “Having this insurance has allowed us to stay on top of all the specialists our kids need to see,” she says. “It gives me tremendous comfort and eases my anxiety if something happens to them.”

When Georgia received the termination notice, she acted immediately. She filed an appeal the same day and began searching for help. “I googled ‘help for keeping insurance,’ and that’s how I found TJC,” she says.

The Tennessee Justice Center devoted 15 hours to Georgia’s case and quickly uncovered the problem. TennCare had miscalculated Georgia’s household income, triggering an erroneous termination of coverage. In reality, her family’s income was $150 under the monthly eligibility limit. TJC recalculated her income, handled all appeal paperwork, and worked directly with the TennCare Eligibility Appeals Unit to correct the state’s mistake. The appeal was resolved in the family’s favor, and the kids' coverage continued without any disruption.

“I was at my son’s basketball game when I saw they had been approved. I cried,” she shares. “It was an overwhelming relief to know that, in the middle of my daughter’s health concerns, we wouldn’t be struggling. We could take care of her, and I wouldn’t have to cancel her appointments. Finding TJC was an absolute relief. From start to finish, it meant knowing I wasn’t alone.”

Georgia reflects on what she hopes for her children: “I hope we continue to make progress with my daughter’s health. I hope my youngest keeps growing and eventually won’t need follow-up appointments anymore. And for my oldest, I hope his back straightens out, he reaches his 6’5” goal, and goes on to play college basketball. I can wish for all of that thanks to the Tennessee Justice Center.”

*Name has been changed to honor the client’s wish for anonymity.