TennCare CHOICES serves adults 21 and older with physical disabilities who meet the program's functional and financial eligibility criteria, alongside seniors 65 and older. Home-delivered meals are among the home and community based services a CHOICES care plan can authorize once a member is enrolled and a nutrition need is documented. The path runs through a care coordinator and a person-centered care plan — not a benefits hotline — and the managed-care organization (BlueCare, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, or Wellpoint) determines authorization and available vendor options. Smash Meals is not a TennCare or CHOICES contracted provider and does not bill any plan.
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TennCare CHOICES has two main member groups: seniors 65 and older, and adults 21 and older with physical disabilities who meet the program's level-of-care criteria. Both groups can have home-delivered meals authorized as a home and community based service when the care plan documents that need — the eligibility path and the meal benefit itself work the same way regardless of which group a member falls into.
Disability determination and financial/functional eligibility for CHOICES are handled by TennCare, not by any meal vendor. If eligibility hasn't been established yet, that has to happen before a care plan — and any meal authorization — can exist.
Call the member services number printed on the back of the insurance card and ask these questions in order. Write down the answers and the reference number for the call.
If the plan cannot supply a vendor that meets the dietary need, ask for the answer in writing. That letter is what a care manager or an appeal typically needs.
Some covered vendors may use shared facilities, or may not offer a dedicated gluten-free production environment. A "gluten-free" description can refer to the recipe rather than to the kitchen it was cooked in. If cross-contact is medically important, verify the vendor's actual kitchen controls directly with the plan or the vendor before meals start.
Smash Meals cooks in a dedicated gluten-free facility: we do not bring wheat, barley, or rye into the building and we do not share equipment with gluten-containing production. A dedicated gluten-free facility is not an allergen-free facility — check each meal's label for dairy, soy, egg, nuts, and other allergens. We are a direct-pay option some families use when a covered vendor cannot meet that need, when a short-term benefit has run out, or when they are feeding a parent in another state.
Meals are cooked in our dedicated gluten-free kitchen in Kingsport, Tennessee. Pickup is free, local Tri-Cities home delivery is $15, and FedEx Ground shipping to our eligible service area is a $30 flat rate. No subscription and no minimum order. Order by Thursday at 11:59 PM Eastern for the following fulfillment week; shipping timing varies by destination and carrier conditions. No subscription and no minimum, so a family can order a single week while eligibility or an appeal is in progress. Call 423-525-2489 with allergy or delivery questions.
Please note: Smash Meals is not in-network with, contracted by, or endorsed by any health plan, Medicare Advantage plan, Medicaid program, or managed-care organization. We do not bill insurance. This page is general educational information — not insurance, medical, or legal advice. Benefits differ by plan, county, and plan year. Confirm any benefit directly with the member services number on your insurance card.
Benefit and program rules change. Confirm anything on this page against the plan or program documents themselves.