Health Care Coverage: Low-income Families

A family with a parent or relative caring for a child under age 19 may receive health care coverage through Medicaid if certain income and resource requirements are met. DHS looks at a family’s income and compares it with the amount the family pays for basic needs such as rent, utilities, child care, and work-related expenses. Resources such as cash on hand, money in the bank and value of vehicles are also considered.

There are many public benefits and subsidies available locally that you may be eligible to receive, many of which can be accessed in the links of this site.  

Additionally, many benefits services and resources can be accessed through the Benefits Site of the State of Tennessee at Tennessee.gov, which is the official eGovernment website for the State of Tennessee serving as the primary resource for Tennessee web-based services. 

Electric/Energy

An electric customer is qualified if the household income is at or below 125 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.   If you are not a participant in the above-qualified programs but think you qualify based on household income you can self-enroll by calling toll-free 1-866-454-8387, or go online at:

Children's healthy development depends on safe and positive experiences when they are young. There are several child-care and assistance options available to families: