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Healthcare for working Tennesseans
Tennessee has been loosing millions of dollars annually and thousands of working residents of the state remain without health insurance because the legislature has refused to vote on the governor's Insure Tennessee proposal. The plan would use federal money to provide health insurance to low-income working residents. On Thursday a committe of lawmakers who opposs Insure Tennessee proposed a plan to expand TennCare through a phase-in program that places priority on veterans and people with mental health or substance abuse disorders. The proposal from the 3-Star Healthy Task Force outlines a two-step program that encourages people to develop relationships with physicians, get behavioral health treatment in tandem with physical health treatment and includes a work and education component to help people into positions lucrative enough to finance commercial coverage. The plan proposed by Republican lawmakers is not aimed at helping low-income working residents but those with "a qualifying diagnosis of a mental illness" or proof of honorable discharge from the U.S. military in addition to an income of less than $16,000 for an individual and $27,000 for a family of three. The task force estimates up to 115,000 people could be eligible to enroll in the first phase which does not address the working poor. A second phase would be open to anyone falling under the poverty level, but the second phase would be contingent on success of the first phase, as well as an analysis of the costs. But there are questions as to whether the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will approve the proposal. Officials say that could take six or more months, and then the plan would ultimately need approval from the Tennessee legislature. Democrat lawmakers issued a statement criticizing the plan saying, "This proposal leaves most of the 280-thousand Tennesseans…. who have been waiting for four years on healthcare coverage… still waiting for at least another 2 years, and that’s if the plan is approved by Washington. We already have a fully approved plan—Governor Haslam’s Insure Tennessee."
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Return to Today's News Stories - Front PageThursday, April 29, 2021
US 411 Project News
Mill Creek Wildfire Update
More Bad News For Smokies' Fans
Wednesday, April 28, 2021
Mill Creek Wildfire doubles in size
Goodbye Smokies?
Keep Cocke County Beautiful
Cocke Co. High School Remote Learning today!
Tuesday, April 27, 2021
The fireflies are coming!
Burnout Operations on MillCreek wildfire today
Gas prices drop
Tennessee keeps all US House seats
Monday, April 26, 2021
Boat accident victim ID'd
Traffic stop yields drug arrest
Cocke County Wildfires
Friday, April 23, 2021
Leaving WNPC
Mathis announces candidacy
Newport drug roundup
Cruise Against Cancer
Jobless numbers
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