Level-of-Care Self-Assessment

Answer 8 questions about your child's daily care needs. This tool gives you a rough indication of how strong your Katie Beckett / TEFRA application would be based on TennCare's institutional level-of-care standard. Not a guarantee — only TennCare decides — but a useful gut-check.

1. How many hours per day does your child need direct, hands-on care or supervision from a parent or caregiver?

2. How many of these activities of daily living (ADLs) does your child need help with?

Bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, transferring (getting in/out of bed/chair), continence

3. Does your child require any of these skilled medical procedures regularly?

Ventilator/BiPAP management, suctioning, G-tube/J-tube feeds, IV medications, wound care, tracheostomy care, dialysis, oxygen, catheterization

4. Does your child have behavioral needs that require intervention?

Aggression, self-injury, elopement (running away), severe sensory disregulation, requires physical/2-person interventions

5. How many medications does your child take regularly?

6. How often does your child see specialists or have medical appointments?

7. Does your child need supervision during the night?

8. Has a doctor said your child would need institutional care (hospital, nursing facility, residential treatment) without the care you provide at home?

What These Results Mean

  • This is not an official determination. Only TennCare can decide level of care. This tool gives you a sense of where you stand.
  • A LOW score doesn't mean you should skip applying. Many families with kids who seem "borderline" still get approved when they document well.
  • A HIGH score doesn't guarantee approval. Documentation quality matters more than care intensity. A strong physician letter + medical records is what wins.
  • Whatever your score, the next step is the same: get a treating physician letter, gather medical records, and apply through TennCare Connect at 1-855-259-0701.