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Frequently Asked Questions
What is CoverTN?
What are the eligibility categories?
Are there exceptions to the requirement for applicants to be uninsured for six months?
What is considered an involuntary loss of coverage?
Is there a pre-existing condition waiting period for CoverTN?
What are the requirements for eligibility?
Why must children be uninsured for the previous three months in order to qualify?
If a child has access to a parent's employer-sponsored insurance, but the family declined the coverage because it was too expensive, is the child eligible for CoverKids?
What services are covered?
Is special assistance available for help completing the CoverKids application?
What is AccessTN?
What are the requirements for eligibility?
How does an applicant prove uninsurable status
What are the approved medical conditions which qualify someone for AccessTN?
Is premium assistance available for low-income participants?
What are the requirements for eligibility?
What is the cost for participating in CoverRx?
How do I apply?
Is there a way to get brand name drugs with CoverRx?
What prescriptions are covered?
If I go to the pharmacy but don't have my ID card, how can I get a prescription filled?
CoverTN
What is CoverTN?
CoverTN provides a limited-benefit health care option that is affordable, portable and meets the needs of small business owners, the self-employed, working individuals without access to coverage and those between jobs. CoverTN provides low-cost coverage for basic medical services, with a focus on preventive care.
What are the eligibility categories?
CoverTN is designed for people in the following categories:
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Small business owners and their employees |
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Self-employed individuals |
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Individuals who work at least 20 hours per week but cannot afford traditional health insurance |
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Individuals who, within the previous six months, have lost their job or had work hours reduced to less than 20 hours per week |
Are there exceptions to the requirement for applicants to be uninsured for six months?
If an individual chooses to stop their existing health insurance coverage, they must wait or "go bare" for six months before being able to enroll in CoverTN. If an individual experiences an involuntary loss of coverage, the six-month go bare period does not apply.
The only exceptions to the six-month go bare requirement are as follows.
For purposes of eligibility for CoverTN, an involuntary loss of coverage is considered the loss of health insurance due to the following:
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Separation from employment (voluntary or involuntary) |
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Cancellation of group or individual health insurance coverage by the insurance carrier for reasons other than non-payment of premium, fraud or misrepresentation |
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A health insurance carrier's decision to no longer sell small group benefits coverage |
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Loss of eligibility for TennCare or CoverKids |
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Active duty in the Armed Forces during the previous six months |
Is there a pre-existing condition waiting period for CoverTN?
Yes. CoverTN has a 12-month pre-existing condition waiting period. No benefits will be paid for conditions present during the immediate six months prior to enrolling in CoverTN. After the member has been enrolled in CoverTN for 12 months, CoverTN will begin covering these conditions.
The pre-existing condition waiting period can be shortened or waived for members with prior creditable coverage who apply within 63 days of an involuntary loss of their coverage.
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CoverKids
What are the requirements for eligibility?
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Tennessee resident |
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U.S. citizen or qualified legal alien (babies born in the U.S. will be considered citizens) |
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Age 18 or younger |
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Uninsured for at least three months (some exceptions apply) |
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Household income up to $55,125 annually for a family of four |
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Children who are Native American/Alaskan Native may be eligible for additional benefits and should include federally-recognized tribal paperwork with the application |
Why must children be uninsured for the previous three months in order to qualify?
CoverKids is designed to provide health insurance for children who have no other option for coverage. The three month requirement prevents the program from being used as an alternative to private commercial insurance.
Exceptions to the three month go-bare requirement include:
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Newborns up to four months of age, who have not been previously insured |
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Children who are leaving TennCare |
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Children moving to Tennessee who were covered by CHIP in another state, provided they meet CoverKids eligibility criteria |
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Loss of employment due to parent or guardian's separation from employment (voluntary or involuntary) |
If a child has access to a parent's employer-sponsored health insurance, but the family declined the coverage because it was too expensive, is the child eligible for CoverKids?
Yes. Access to coverage is not a factor in CoverKids eligibility. If all other eligibility criteria are met, it is simply a matter of whether the child is insured or uninsured.
One exception is access to state employee insurance. Federal guidelines do not allow children with access to state employee health insurance to participate in CoverKids.
What services are covered?
CoverKids provides comprehensive health insurance with an emphasis on preventive health services and includes the following:
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Vaccinations and well-child visits |
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Physician services |
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Hospitalization |
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Mental health services |
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Physical, speech and occupational therapy |
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Vision |
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Dental |
Is special assistance available for help completing the CoverKids application?
Yes. Those who need special assistance completing the CoverKids application may call 1.866.620.8864 and request help with completing their application.
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AccessTN
What is AccessTN?
AccessTN is a comprehensive health insurance program for Tennesseans who are uninsurable because of pre-existing medical conditions or health history. AccessTN functions as Tennessee's high-risk insurance pool.
What are the requirements for eligibility?
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Tennessee resident |
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U.S. citizen or qualified legal alien |
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Uninsurable by medical or insurance determination |
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No access to employer-sponsored health insurance (other than CoverTN) at the time of application |
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The applicant has exhausted COBRA coverage, if it was available |
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Uninsured for at least three months, except for those completing COBRA, being disenrolled from TennCare or losing CoverKids eligibility |
How does an applicant prove uninsurable status?
In one of three ways:
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Provide a doctor's statement that the applicant has one of more than 50 medical conditions (see below) |
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Show that the applicant has been denied for individual health coverage by an insurance carrier because of health conditions |
What are the approved medical conditions which qualify someone for AccessTN?
If, within the previous three years, an applicant has been diagnosed or treated for any of these medical conditions, he or she will qualify for AccessTN as medically uninsurable. (It is important to know that these are not the only ways to qualify for AccessTN.)
- AIDS/HIV+
- Alzheimer's
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's Disease)
- Aplastic Anemia, chronic
- Arteritis, necrotizing
- Arthritis, Rheumatoid
- Autistic Disorders
- Brain injury, traumatic
- Cancers, excluding skin cancers except melanoma
- Cerebral Embolism, Pulmonary Embolism
- Cerebral Palsy, moderate to severe
- Cerebral Vascular Accident (CVA) [Stroke] other than Transient Ischemic Attack
- Cirrhosis of the Liver
- Cleft Palate, requiring surgery, excluding microform cleft
- Congestive Heart Failure, including Cardiomyopathy
- Crohn's Disease, with current symptoms and requiring surgery
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Diabetes, Type I or Type II uncontrolled, or diabetes with complications (eyes, kidneys, feet, etc.)
- Friedrich's Ataxia
- Guillain-Barre Syndrome, Presenting
- Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction) within five years
- Heart Bypass Surgery within five years
- Hemophilia
- Hepatitis B, C, D or G acute or chronic moderate or severe with Rx
- Hodgkin's Disease
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- Huntington's Chorea
- Hydrocephalus
- Hypertensive Renal Disease
- Kidney, Chronic Renal Failure, including members receiving dialysis
- Kidney, Polycystic
- Lead Poisoning (Cerebral)
- Legge-Perthes Disease
- Leukemia
- Multiple Sclerosis, Post-lateral Sclerosis
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Myasthenia Gravis
- Pancreatis, chronic
- Paralysis, including quadriplegia and paraplegia
- Parkinson's Disease
- Psychotic Disorders, including Schizophrenia and Delusional Disorders
- Pulmonary Emphysema, moderate to severe
- Pulmonary Fibrosis
- Sickle Cell Anemia
- Silicosis (Black Lung)
- Still's Disease
- Sturge-Weber syndrome
- Syringomyelia
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (Lupus Erythematosus)
- Tabes Dorsallis (Locomotor Ataxia)
- Thalassemia with present symptoms
- Topectomy and Lobotomy
- Transplants, completed or recommended, excluding donor or cornea transplant
- Tumors, Brain or Pituitary
- Ulcerative Colitis, present
- Wilson's Disease
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Is premium assistance available for low-income participants?
Yes. The General Assembly has appropriated $13 million in funds for premium assistance to make monthly premiums more affordable for low-income participants.
The AccessTN Board has determined that premium assistance:
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Will be available for applicants up to 350% of federal poverty level, up to an annual household income of $75,000 |
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Is limited to available funding; not all of those meeting eligibility criteria will necessarily qualify |
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Will range from 20% of premium to 60% of premium based on household income |
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Will be available for Plan One, which has the lowest deductible and highest premiums |
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CoverRx
What are the requirements for eligibility?
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Tennessee resident (six months) |
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U.S. citizen or qualified legal alien |
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Age 19 to 64 |
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Uninsured or insured with no pharmacy coverage |
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Household income at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level ($55,125 per year for a family of four) |
What is the cost for participating in CoverRx?
Because CoverRx is not insurance, there are no monthly premiums and no cost to join. Members are responsible for affordable, income-based co-pays when they fill prescriptions. Participants will pay a discounted price for any drugs that are not covered.
How do I apply?
Applications are available for download from this web site or by calling 1.866.CoverTN.
Is there a way to get brand name drugs with CoverRx?
The program does not pay for medications not on the covered drug list. The CoverRx card can be used as a discount card to purchase brand name drugs.
What prescriptions are covered?
The list of covered drugs will be included in every welcome packet, but can also be found here. You can request a copy be mailed to you by calling 1-888-560-2649.
If I go to the pharmacy but don't have my ID card, how can I get a prescription filled?
Provide this information to the pharmacist to process your order.
| Step 1 |
Enter Bin 003858 |
| Step 2 |
Enter Processor Control Number A4 |
| Step 3 |
Enter Rx Group TCXA |
| Step 4 |
Enter Participant's SSN |
| Step 5 |
Enter Participant's Date of Birth |
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Cover Tennessee
General Cover Tennessee FAQ
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