Tennessee Governor Announces the Biggest State

Governor’s Draconian Waiver Will Cut 323,000 Adults and

Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen issued a statement today indicating that he is moving forward with a plan to limit benefits to TennCare beneficiaries, particularly reducing enrollment for adults. As a result, as many as 323,000 adults will lose health coverage provided by the TennCare program.

The following is the statement of Ron Pollack, Executive Director of the health care consumer organization Families USA, about the Governor's announcement:

"Governor Bredesen announced today the biggest cutback in memory in any state Medicaid program. As a result, 323,000 low-income Tennesseans will lose much needed health coverage and are at great risk of joining the ranks of the uninsured.

"Under the proposed changes, Tennessee state bureaucrats will make decisions about people's health care, overruling recommendations made by trained physicians. This is a harmful way to make decisions about the kind of care people should receive.

"The Governor's draconian waiver creates a horrible precedent for other states looking at Tennessee as an example. It is an extremely damaging response to a serious crisis. By cutting 323,000 people from TennCare, the Governor will increase the number of uninsured Tennesseans. This decision will also drive up health care costs for insured people in the state as hospitals, doctors, and nursing homes raise their rates to pay for all the charity care that they will now need to offer.

"Tennessee has moved from being the leader in providing health care for the most vulnerable populations to being the leader in cutting people's health care coverage."  

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Families USA is the national organization for health care consumers. It is nonprofit and nonpartisan and advocates for high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

1201 New York Avenue NW, Suite 1100 · Washington, DC 20005
202-628-3030 · Email: info@familiesusa.org · www.familiesusa.org