State Medicaid Watch: Tennessee

See this article. An excerpt:

The cost of living with a disability could increase with possible TennCare cuts facing more than 320,000 people on the program.

''Most people don't realize they could be cut off,'' said Tony Garr, executive director of the Tennessee Health Care Campaign, headquartered in Nashville.

''A few disabled people who have Social Security will stay on the program but will be subject to the limits of the program that require a situation be a medical necessity, and that the provider gives what is least costly and only what is adequate,'' Garr said.

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''I think it just baffles them (the people of Tennessee) that the governor will cut them off, but that is exactly what he wants to do,'' said Garr, who believes the biggest loss for TennCare recipients will be the loss of prescription drug coverage.

''Most people don't have the resources to pay for their medications,'' Garr said. ''Of the 1.3 million on TennCare, only 17,000 are twice above the poverty level. Most of the people, 121,000, are below poverty or near poverty.''