TennCare continues to report record high levels of satisfaction among enrollees in 2025, according to a new study by the Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The study also shows the statewide uninsured rate dropped slightly this year.
The Impact of TennCare: A Survey of Recipients, 2025 finds that 97% of those enrolled in the TennCare program reported being somewhat satisfied or very satisfied with the program, the highest satisfaction rate since the TennCare study began in 1993. Ninety-seven percent of respondents also note high overall satisfaction with the program for their children.
“No measurement of TennCare’s success is greater than our members’ opinion of their care,” TennCare director Stephen Smith said. “The record member satisfaction is a reflection of the efforts of many to meet the agency’s mission of improving lives through high-quality cost-effective care.”
Boyd Distinguished Professor of Health Economics Matt Harris and Boyd Center Senior Research Associate Emily Pratt co-authored the study, which examines the health coverage status of Tennessee residents, the use of medical facilities and satisfaction with medical services received. The study is based on a telephone and online survey of approximately 5,000 households conducted between May and July 2025.
Uninsured rates in Tennessee
The methodology for reporting the percentage of uninsured Tennesseans changed in 2024 from a single percentage rate to a probable range. This year’s report estimates that in 2025, there were between 45,902 and 78,755 uninsured children in Tennessee, representing a range of 2.9% to 5% of the population under age 18. About 8.1% to 10.2% of adults are estimated to be uninsured, down from last year’s estimate of 8.8% to 11%. Combined, the number of uninsured adults and children ranges from 7% to 9.1% — also down from last year’s estimate of 7.6% to 9.6%.
“Decreases in uninsurance rates and high levels of satisfaction with TennCare are both good news for population health,” Harris said. “Being able to access and afford care, particularly for vulnerable populations, is important for our state to continue to grow.”
Affordability remains the most commonly cited reason for people failing to obtain health insurance in 2025, with 91% of respondents listing it as a reason for not getting coverage. Uninsured individuals could indicate whether they had been turned down after applying for insurance in 2025, and 34% of those respondents said that being turned down was a major reason for their lack of coverage.
Quality and availability of TennCare
In addition to overall satisfaction with TennCare in 2025, quality of care ranked highly. Seventy-seven percent of TennCare heads of households rated their quality of care as good or excellent, and for children specifically the number rose to 88%; both numbers are up 3% from 2024. More TennCare households reported that it was easier to get a doctor’s appointment this year, with 37% reporting they were able to see a doctor within a day of making an appointment compared to 34% last year. About 70% said they were able to see a doctor within a week this year, versus 67% last year.
Only 15% of TennCare users sought nonemergency health care outside their plan in 2025, similar to the 14% reported in 2024. Of that 15%, about 85% reported seeking nonemergency care fewer than four times in the past year. Four percent reported that they had sought care outside of TennCare because the service needed was unavailable, 4% said they were dissatisfied with the quality of care from the TennCare provider, 2% said there was no TennCare provider in the area and 3% had mistakenly made an appointment with a provider who did not accept TennCare.
The Boyd Center, located within UT’s Haslam College of Business, has conducted the survey each year since 1993 under contract with the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Stacy Estep (865-974-8304, sestep3@utk.edu)
Erin Hatfield (865-974-6086, ehatfie1@utk.edu)