TennCare CHOICES vs Mississippi Medicaid vs Private Pay for Assisted Living
TennCare CHOICES vs Mississippi Medicaid vs private pay is a question of who pays which part: both Medicaid programs pay care services, not room and board, and only at participating communities; private pay covers everything. TennCare caps 2026 room and board at $2,385.60 a month. See How Families Pay for Assisted Living.
TennCare CHOICES and Mississippi's Assisted Living Waiver both pay for assisted living services, not room and board, and only at communities that contract with them. Private pay covers everything and opens every door. In 2026 TennCare caps the room-and-board charge at $2,385.60 a month for CHOICES members.
What this page recommends
TennCare CHOICES and Mississippi's Assisted Living Waiver both pay for assisted living services, not room and board, and only at communities that contract with them.
- Next step: Find a Provider
What should I verify before acting?
Verify the local workflow, provider fit, pricing details, and timing directly through the canonical guide or a qualified professional before making a decision.
Related decision paths people also use
These are nearby ways people describe the same decision before they move into local comparison, pricing, or urgent next-step mode.
TennCare memo of December 8, 2025: CHOICES ACLF services reimbursement may not exceed $1,497.77 a month (effective July 1, 2025); the 2026 maximum room-and-board charge for CHOICES members is $2,385.60 a month (80% of the $2,982 personal needs allowance); the maximum total payment to the facility is $3,883.37 a month. Reviewed 2026-10-13.
Read the full guide on Memphis Senior Care Homes
More Memphis-area city pages
Memphis Senior Care Homes lists licensed communities city by city across Shelby County, DeSoto County and Crittenden County.
Who pays for what
Room and board is the line Medicaid does not pay in either state.
| Payer | Pays for care services | Pays room and board | Where it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private pay | Yes | Yes | Any community |
| TennCare CHOICES | Yes, up to $1,497.77 a month (from July 1, 2025) | No; member pays, capped at $2,385.60 a month in 2026 | Tennessee ACLFs that contract with TennCare |
| Mississippi Assisted Living Waiver | Yes, per diem to the facility | No; enrollee pays | Mississippi PCH-AL communities approved as waiver providers; waiting list possible |
| Medicare | No long-term custodial care | No | Not an assisted living payer |
TennCare CHOICES vs Mississippi Medicaid vs Private Pay for Assisted Living: Evidence-to-Action Framework
- Frame: State the exact decision behind “TennCare CHOICES vs Mississippi Medicaid vs Private Pay for Assisted Living.”
- Verify: Confirm your parent meets nursing-facility level of care.
- Compare: Ask for the room-and-board charge in writing.
- Stress-test: Check for this page-specific warning: A community that says TennCare pays "everything"
- Act: Shortlist communities on the canonical city page and request matches through the intake.
Ready to compare providers?
Use the source-backed framework above, then continue to the matching provider destination.
Find communities in Memphis, TN
See every licensed community the directory lists for Memphis, TN, with care types and how to reach each one.
Verify the rule before acting
- CHOICES in Long-Term Services and Supports — TennCare CHOICES program for long-term services and supports, including assisted-care living facility services; reviewed 2026-10-13
- ACLF Rate Change and 2026 Maximum Room and Board Charges (memo, December 8, 2025) — CHOICES ACLF services rate ($1,497.77/month from July 1, 2025), 2026 room-and-board cap ($2,385.60/month) and maximum total facility payment ($3,883.37/month); reviewed 2026-10-13
- Assisted Living Waiver — Mississippi Medicaid assisted living waiver: eligibility, covered services, provider licensing (PCH-AL) and waiting list; reviewed 2026-10-13
- Long-term care coverage — Medicare does not cover long-term custodial care when it is the only care needed; reviewed 2026-10-13
CHOICES pays for assisted-care living facility services, the care itself: personal care, homemaker services and medication oversight. It does not pay room and board; federal rules bar Medicaid home and community-based services from covering it. TennCare's payment for those services may not exceed $1,497.77 a month (effective July 1, 2025), and the member pays room and board from their own income or with family help. When the Money Runs Out: Medicaid Spend-Down in Tennessee explains how to apply.
Quick checklist
- Confirm your parent meets nursing-facility level of care.
- Ask the community whether it contracts with TennCare for CHOICES.
- Budget for room and board from your parent's income.
- Ask how long CHOICES enrollment is taking.
Red flags
- A community that says TennCare pays "everything"
- No written room-and-board figure
- Applying without checking whether the community participates
For 2026, TennCare caps room and board for CHOICES members at the lesser of $2,385.60 a month or what the community charges non-CHOICES residents. That cap is 80% of the $2,982 personal needs allowance. With TennCare's services payment, the most a community can receive is $3,883.37 a month, unless the family chooses to pay extra for a private room, which cannot be a condition of admission. That ceiling is why fewer Memphis communities accept CHOICES.
Quick checklist
- Ask for the room-and-board charge in writing.
- Check it does not exceed $2,385.60 a month in 2026.
- Ask whether a private room is optional.
- Ask what is included in room and board.
Red flags
- A private-room upcharge required for admission
- Room and board above the TennCare cap
- Extra "care" fees added on top of the CHOICES payment
Mississippi's waiver also pays for services, not room and board. It covers case management, personal care, homemaker services, medication oversight, attendant care and related services in a facility licensed by the Mississippi State Department of Health as a Personal Care Home-Assisted Living and approved as a Medicaid provider, in Southaven or Olive Branch for example. Applicants must be 21 or older and qualify medically and financially, and the program can have a waiting list.
Quick checklist
- Confirm the community is an approved waiver provider.
- Ask the Division of Medicaid about the waiting list.
- Budget room and board from your parent's income.
- Ask what services the per diem covers at that community.
Red flags
- Assuming the waiver starts immediately
- A community that is licensed but not a waiver provider
- No written room-and-board figure
Private pay works anywhere, starts immediately and lets you choose any community and apartment. It makes sense when your parent has savings, home sale proceeds or long-term care insurance to cover the gap, or when the communities you prefer do not take Medicaid. Plan how long the money lasts at the quoted rate plus expected increases, and pick a community that will accept CHOICES or the waiver later if you may need it. How Families Pay for Assisted Living shows how to build that plan.
Quick checklist
- Estimate how many months savings will last.
- Ask whether the community accepts residents who later convert to Medicaid.
- Check long-term care insurance elimination periods.
- Check VA pension with Aid and Attendance if your parent served.
Red flags
- No plan for spend-down
- A community that will discharge residents who convert to Medicaid
- Selling the home without checking Medicaid rules first
No. Medicare does not cover long-term care when that is the only care you need, including custodial care such as help with bathing, dressing and eating. Medicare can still pay for covered medical services your parent receives while living in assisted living, such as doctor visits and prescriptions under a drug plan, but not the monthly rent or care fees. Compare payment options by city, Bartlett or Memphis for example, before you decide.
Quick checklist
- Separate medical costs from rent and care fees in your budget.
- Keep your parent's Medicare and drug plan active after the move.
- Check whether the plan's network covers doctors near the community.
- Ask the community which pharmacies it works with.
Red flags
- Anyone saying Medicare pays monthly assisted living fees
- Dropping Medicare coverage after the move
- A community pharmacy outside your parent's drug plan
Need help applying this guide?
Questions families search in the Memphis area
Which assisted living facilities in the Memphis area take Medicaid?
TennCare CHOICES pays care services, not room and board, and only at communities that contract with TennCare; ask each community in the Memphis area whether it does. Read the full guide (linked above)
Also searched: assisted living that takes medicaid; care home that takes medicaid; dementia care that takes medicaid; does medicaid pay for assisted living in tennessee; does tenncare pay for assisted living
Which assisted living communities in Arlington take Medicaid?
TennCare CHOICES pays care services, not room and board, and only at communities that contract with TennCare; ask each community in Arlington whether it does. Read the full guide (linked above)
Also searched: assisted living that takes medicaid arlington; assisted living that takes medicaid arlington tn; care home that takes medicaid arlington
Which assisted living communities in Bartlett take Medicaid?
TennCare CHOICES pays care services, not room and board, and only at communities that contract with TennCare; ask each community in Bartlett whether it does. Read the full guide (linked above)
Also searched: assisted living that takes medicaid bartlett; care home that takes medicaid bartlett
Which assisted living communities in Collierville take Medicaid?
TennCare CHOICES pays care services, not room and board, and only at communities that contract with TennCare; ask each community in Collierville whether it does. Read the full guide (linked above)
Also searched: assisted living that takes medicaid collierville; care home that takes medicaid collierville
Which assisted living communities in Cordova take Medicaid?
TennCare CHOICES pays care services, not room and board, and only at communities that contract with TennCare; ask each community in Cordova whether it does. Read the full guide (linked above)
Also searched: assisted living that takes medicaid cordova; care home that takes medicaid cordova
Which assisted living communities in Downtown Memphis take Medicaid?
TennCare CHOICES pays care services, not room and board, and only at communities that contract with TennCare; ask each community in Downtown Memphis whether it does. Read the full guide (linked above)
Also searched: assisted living that takes medicaid downtown; assisted living that takes medicaid downtown memphis; care home that takes medicaid downtown
Which assisted living communities in East Memphis take Medicaid?
TennCare CHOICES pays care services, not room and board, and only at communities that contract with TennCare; ask each community in East Memphis whether it does. Read the full guide (linked above)
Also searched: assisted living that takes medicaid east memphis; care home that takes medicaid east memphis
Which assisted living communities in Germantown take Medicaid?
TennCare CHOICES pays care services, not room and board, and only at communities that contract with TennCare; ask each community in Germantown whether it does. Read the full guide (linked above)
Also searched: assisted living that accepts tenncare germantown tn; assisted living that takes medicaid germantown; assisted living that takes medicaid germantown tn; care home that takes medicaid germantown
Which assisted living communities in Lakeland take Medicaid?
TennCare CHOICES pays care services, not room and board, and only at communities that contract with TennCare; ask each community in Lakeland whether it does. Read the full guide (linked above)
Also searched: assisted living that takes medicaid lakeland; assisted living that takes medicaid lakeland tn; care home that takes medicaid lakeland
Which assisted living communities in Memphis take Medicaid?
TennCare CHOICES pays care services, not room and board, and only at communities that contract with TennCare; ask each community in Memphis whether it does. Read the full guide (linked above)
Also searched: assisted living that accepts tenncare memphis tn; assisted living that accepts tenncare midtown memphis; assisted living that takes medicaid memphis; assisted living that takes medicaid memphis tn; assisted living that takes medicaid midtown memphis
Which assisted living communities in the Mid-South take Medicaid?
TennCare CHOICES pays care services, not room and board, and only at communities that contract with TennCare; ask each community in the Mid-South whether it does. Read the full guide (linked above)
Also searched: assisted living that takes medicaid mid-south; care home that takes medicaid mid-south
Which assisted living communities in Millington take Medicaid?
TennCare CHOICES pays care services, not room and board, and only at communities that contract with TennCare; ask each community in Millington whether it does. Read the full guide (linked above)
Also searched: assisted living that takes medicaid millington; care home that takes medicaid millington
Which assisted living communities in Shelby County take Medicaid?
TennCare CHOICES pays care services, not room and board, and only at communities that contract with TennCare; ask each community in Shelby County whether it does. Read the full guide (linked above)
Also searched: assisted living that takes medicaid shelby county; care home that takes medicaid shelby county
Which assisted living communities in DeSoto County take Medicaid?
In DeSoto County, Mississippi's Assisted Living Waiver pays care services at licensed Personal Care Home-Assisted Living providers approved by Medicaid; waiting lists are possible. Assisted living and memory care in Southaven (linked above)
Also searched: care home that takes medicaid desoto county
Which assisted living communities in Hernando take Medicaid?
In Hernando, Mississippi's Assisted Living Waiver pays care services at licensed Personal Care Home-Assisted Living providers approved by Medicaid; waiting lists are possible. Assisted living and memory care in Hernando
Also searched: assisted living that takes medicaid hernando ms; care home that takes medicaid hernando
Which assisted living communities in Horn Lake take Medicaid?
In Horn Lake, Mississippi's Assisted Living Waiver pays care services at licensed Personal Care Home-Assisted Living providers approved by Medicaid; waiting lists are possible. Assisted living and memory care in Horn Lake
Also searched: care home that takes medicaid horn lake
Which assisted living communities in Midtown Memphis take Medicaid?
TennCare CHOICES pays care services, not room and board, and only at communities that contract with TennCare; ask each community in Midtown Memphis whether it does. Assisted living and memory care in Memphis (linked above)
Also searched: care home that takes medicaid midtown
Which assisted living communities in North Mississippi take Medicaid?
In North Mississippi, Mississippi's Assisted Living Waiver pays care services at licensed Personal Care Home-Assisted Living providers approved by Medicaid; waiting lists are possible. Assisted living and memory care in Southaven (linked above)
See which Memphis-area communities fit your parent
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- Hospital Discharge to Assisted Living in Memphis: What Discharge Planners Need From Families
- Private Pay vs Medicaid Beds: Why Some Memphis Communities Don't Take TennCare