Finding affordable healthcare can be challenging, but free and low-cost resources are available across Tennessee. Below are some places to start, including organizations that help with insurance navigation, medical expense assistance, providers, and other healthcare needs.
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Clinics & Care Providers
- At 12 clinics across Nashville, Sumner County, and Wilson County, Neighborhood Health offers primary care, behavioral health, and dental services using a sliding fee scale based on your income.
- Shade Tree Clinic, run by Vanderbilt University medical students, provides Nashville's uninsured individuals with care at no cost. Health Outreach Services also provides services at no cost at Meharry Medical College.
- If you are uninsured and living in Davidson County, Project Access Nashville can connect you to primary care safety net clinics that serve patients based on their ability to pay.
- For medically and culturally marginalized people in Nashville, there's Siloam Health. The group primarily focuses on immigrant and refugee communities seeking medical screenings, refugee family hosts, and Arabic or Spanish language interpretation.
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Medicaid (TennCare)
- The state's Medicaid program is called TennCare. It is designed to provide health care insurance to low-income children, pregnant women, parents or caretakers of minor children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. Income-eligible people can apply for TennCare through the state's website, by mail, or by calling TennCare Connect at 855-259-0701.
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Prescription assistance programs
- Generally, Tennesseans without pharmacy coverage who are low-income are eligible for CoverRx. According to the state, the CoverRx Prescription Benefit Manager is OptumRx. It offers access to 200+ generic drugs plus select name‑brand insulin, mental health medicines, and naloxone at low copays and with no monthly premiums. For assistance with enrollment or questions about prescription services, call OptumRx at 800-424-5815.
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