Tennessee Code Title 71. Welfare § 71-5-1405

The commissioner shall ensure that there is a single entry point into the long-term care system that is responsible for ensuring that persons seeking care and their families have access to readily available, easy-to-understand information about long-term care options. Functions performed by the single entry point may include counseling and assistance in evaluating long-term care options, screening and intake for long-term care programs, facilitated enrollment for medicaid financial eligibility and assistance with evaluation of level of care in order to facilitate determination of medical eligibility for medicaid long-term care services. Activities performed by the single entry point shall be conducted based on clear and consistent policies, processes and timelines in order to expedite access to available long-term care programs and services. To ensure the most seamless and efficient system possible, medicaid-eligible persons shall not be required to go back through the single entry point in order to access long-term care services, but rather shall have a single entity that is responsible for coordinating all of the medicaid benefits the member may need, including medical, behavioral, nursing facility and home and community-based services.