Does TennCare cover pain management?
Yes. Interventional Pain Consultants accepts BlueCare Tennessee — the TennCare plan run by BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee — at our East Tennessee pain clinics. If your TennCare coverage is through a different plan, call us and we will check it.
Yes, we accept BlueCare Tennessee
TennCare, Tennessee's Medicaid program, is delivered through managed-care plans, and BlueCare Tennessee is the one we accept by name. If your card says BlueCare, you can be seen at any of our Tennessee clinics.
TennCare members are assigned to one of several plans, and the plans differ. If yours is not BlueCare, do not rule yourself out — call (706) 847-0826 and we will check what your plan allows.
What TennCare typically covers for pain care
Most TennCare coverage includes interventional pain management when it is medically necessary — the evaluations, image-guided injections and nerve procedures that make up our core work. That typically includes care such as epidural steroid injections, medial branch blocks, radiofrequency ablation and spinal cord stimulation for conditions like back pain, neck pain, sciatica and arthritis. Because BlueCare routes much of this care through your primary care provider first, we confirm what needs to be on file before your first visit.
Referrals and prior authorization
TennCare plans usually manage care through a primary care provider, and many services need a referral or a prior authorization on file before a specialist visit. During verification we check exactly what BlueCare requires for your situation and help get the paperwork moving, so the process does not stall your care.
What you can expect to pay
TennCare sets cost-sharing low, and for many members and services there is no copay at all — but the details depend on your eligibility group and the service. When we verify your benefits we tell you what, if anything, you would owe.
How we verify your TennCare benefits
Request verification with your name and phone number, have your BlueCare card handy, and our insurance team will confirm your coverage directly with your plan and call you back before your first visit.
Where you can be seen in Tennessee
Once your coverage is verified, you can be seen at our Tennessee clinics in Cleveland, Farragut and Oak Ridge. Procedures that are better done in a dedicated surgical setting may be scheduled at our ambulatory surgery center in Cleveland — your care team will tell you if that applies to you.
Common TennCare questions
Is BlueCare the same as TennCare?
BlueCare Tennessee is one of the plans that delivers TennCare coverage — the one run by BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, and the one we accept by name.
My TennCare plan is not BlueCare. Can I still be seen?
Call us. Plan participation changes, and the answer depends on your specific plan — our team can check it in one phone call.
Do I need a referral from my primary care provider?
Often yes, for TennCare plans. We check BlueCare's referral rules for your situation during verification and tell you exactly what needs to be on file.
Does TennCare cover injections for back pain?
Medically necessary interventional care — including epidural steroid injections for back pain — is the kind of care TennCare plans cover under their criteria. We confirm how BlueCare applies them to your care before your first visit.
Check your TennCare coverage before your first visit.
Send your name and number and our insurance team will confirm your BlueCare benefits, including any referral TennCare needs on file, and call you back. Or call us and we will check it over the phone.