CHILDREN'S HEALTH
TennCare and CoverKids are the primary health insurance programs for children in Tennessee, covering from early development to teenage years. We assist families in navigating these programs and advocate for their preservation and improvement to ensure children receive necessary medical care. Informing the public and policymakers about the importance of TennCare and CoverKids is crucial for protecting children's health and the healthcare infrastructure. Additionally, we educate community partners and advocates through various trainings, materials, and newsletters.
PUBLIC BENEFITS PROGRAMS THAT TJC FOCUSES ON
NEED OUR HELP?
We help with some public benefits enrollment or appeals issues with programs like TennCare, CoverKids and SNAP.
Call us at 615-255-0331 or at 1-877-608-1009 toll free.
You can also
*Make sure you provide us with some way to contact you. After you contact us, someone from Tennessee Justice Center should reach out to you soon. They will ask more questions to see if we can help.
We also have a directory of resources with information about who can get help with public programs, food assistance, and more.
SHARE YOUR STORY
Your personal story in this healthcare system is a critical tool in changing the hearts and minds of decision-makers, and TJC is here to support you in amplifying that story. Please share how TennCare/Medicaid, Medicare, insurance through the Marketplace, or having no insurance because you are in the gap has affected your life. Your story makes a difference.
POLICY PRIORITIES
Through our direct service work and working alongside other advocates, we learn about barriers to programs that provide healthcare and nutrition assistance. We use that information to advocate for policy changes to address the inequities in our system due to race, immigration status, living in a rural area, etc.
PROJECTS & INITIATIVES
INSURE OUR KIDS
We are on a mission to enroll every eligible child in Tennessee in Medicaid and CHIP. These programs are instrumental in providing health insurance coverage to children in low- and middle-income families so that they can have a healthy start. Almost every uninsured child is eligible for Medicaid or CHIP, and they often need help with the application process. By partnering with other organizations, we are training volunteers and professionals who encounter uninsured children to help them enroll.
For more information about this campaign, visit insureourkids.org. If you would like to sign up for training or if your organization is interested in becoming a partner, please contact Outreach Coordinator Shana Watkins at swatkins@tnjustice.org. With your help, we can bring the number of uninsured children in Tennessee to ZERO!
IMPROVING HEALTH OUTCOMES
TJC is committed to improving health outcomes for people of all races, ethnicities, gender, and sexes including sexuality across the state. Systemic discrimination has a longstanding history in national and state policies that negatively impact health outcomes for rural Tennesseans and marginalized groups. Our health equity work seeks to eliminate barriers to access by presenting research and policy solutions.
For regularly updated resources and information on health equity issues as well as a breakdown of the history of structural racism in Tennessee’s healthcare system, visit our Health Equity page.
OUR PARTNERS
NEED OUR HELP?
We help with some public benefits enrollment or appeals issues with programs like TennCare, CoverKids and SNAP.
Call us at 615-255-0331 or at 1-877-608-1009 toll free.
You can also
*We may not be able to help you. Make sure you provide us with some way to contact you. After you contact us, someone from Tennessee Justice Center should reach out to you soon. They will ask more questions to see if we can help.
We also have a directory of resources with information about who can get help with public programs, food assistance, and more.