The short answer Tennessee's home health licensing rules (Health Facilities Commission ch. 0720-27) require proof of adequate medical screenings to exclude communicable disease in each employee file but do not spell out a specific TB test. Workers' comp is required at 5 or more employees (construction: 1).
What Tennessee requires
Tennessee
TB screening: general communicable-disease proof. TN Comp. R. & Regs. 0720-27-.04(11) requires proof of adequate medical screenings to exclude communicable disease in each employee's file; no explicit tuberculin test or TB screening mandate appears in ch. 0720-27, though surveyor guidance historically treats CDC-based TB screening as satisfying it.
Source ↗
Chapter index. The Health Facilities Commission home health rules (ch. 0720-27, transferred from 1200-08-26) are published by the Tennessee Secretary of State.
Source ↗
Workers' comp at 5+ employees. Construction businesses need coverage for everyone including owners; other businesses need insurance if there are five or more employees (TN Bureau of Workers' Compensation).
Source ↗
☆ Rules change. We watch them for you.
Get one short email when Tennessee's home care requirements change. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Reviewed quarterly by Vitable Health.
The federal baseline (applies in every state)
Federal
No federal TB mandate for home care workers. There is no federal law requiring tuberculosis screening of home care or home health workers; TB screening obligations for this workforce are set by each state's facility licensing law. Federal Medicare Conditions of Participation for home health agencies (42 CFR Part 484) require an infection-prevention program but do not prescribe worker TB testing.
Source ↗
2019 CDC/NTCA baseline screening standard. The 2019 CDC/National Tuberculosis Controllers Association recommendations for U.S. health care personnel call for a baseline (pre-placement) individual TB risk assessment, symptom evaluation, and a TB test (IGRA or TST) for those without documented prior positive results. Routine annual (serial) testing of health care personnel is no longer recommended absent ongoing exposure; instead facilities should provide annual TB education and symptom screening.
Source ↗
Positive-result workup. Personnel with a newly positive TB test or TB symptoms should receive a chest X-ray and clinical evaluation to rule out active TB disease; those found to have latent TB infection should be offered and encouraged to complete LTBI treatment per CDC guidance.
Source ↗
OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030). OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard applies to home care/home health workers with reasonably anticipated exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials. Employers must maintain a written exposure control plan, provide annual training, and offer the hepatitis B vaccine series at no cost within 10 working days of assignment to covered workers.
Source ↗
Primary sources for this page
More Tennessee guides