Maximize Coverage for Tennessee

Currently, federal funding is available to provide comprehensive healthcare coverage for low income Tennesseans. The federal government would provide 90% of the funding with a state match of 10%. The Tennessee Hospital Association has committed to paying the state’s 10%. But the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states could decide whether to permit their residents to receive that coverage. Although Governor Haslam (R) created a plan to provide coverage to 300,000 Tennesseans under the Affordable Care Act at no cost to the State or to Tennessee taxpayers (Insure Tennessee), the Tennessee legislature has failed to act. The plan was reintroduced by Rep. Ron Travis (R) and Rep Jason Hodges (D) in the House and Senator Richard Briggs (R) and Senator Jeff Yarbro the Senate. It was pulled from House consideration due to a lack of votes.

600+ studies have detailed the success of expansion in the 38 states plus Washington DC that improved their access to healthcare. Benefits were also seen in other service areas.

WHO would be covered?

It is estimated that 300,000 Tennesseans are in the Gap.

Tennessee adults who are caught in the “Coverage Gap.”

These individuals fall in the Gap because they don’t earn enough for coverage under healthcare.gov, and yet they cannot qualify for TennCare.

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Most are working at low wage jobs such as construction, maintenance, waiting tables and janitorial, that do not provide affordable health insurance.

24,000 are military veterans.

Many have worked at hard manual labor for decades, are no longer physically able to work full time, but are not yet old enough for Medicare.

They live in or near poverty (incomes less than $17,236 for one person or $23,335 for a couple).

In spite of low income, they cannot qualify for TennCare (which generally only covers families with children, people over 65 or some people found disabled by Social Security)

WHY should Tennessee support Medicaid Expansion?

Because expansion:

Provides health care and financial peace of mind to 300,000 Tennesseans, including 24,000 veterans, while encouraging personal responsibility;

Extends a financial lifeline to our hospitals, especially in rural communities;

Generates 15,000 new jobs throughout the state;

Keeps Tennesseans’ federal taxes at home by directing $1.4 billion in federal funding each year into local economies;

Protects the state budget with guarantees of funding by the federal government and Tennessee’s hospital industry, plus the program can be cancelled with one year’s notice if Tennessee legislators deem it financially unsustainable;

Reflects the will of the people. According to a May 2018 Vanderbilt poll, 66% of Tennessee voters support Medicaid Expansion. More self-identified Tea Party voters (42%) support Insure Tennessee than oppose it (40%);

Is supported by research conducted by respected economists at the University of Tennessee Centers for Business & Economic Research and at the University of Memphis’ Sparks Bureau of Business and Economic Research;
Saves lives and protects against medical bankruptcy. 19,200 lives of newly covered adults 55-64 yrs old were saved from 2014-2017 due to their state’s decision to accept federal dollars to provide coverage for uninsured working families.

Ask your Legislators to Pass Insure Tennessee and Bring Our Taxes Home for Tennesseans’ Healthcare

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