Tenn. Drops 323,000 Adults from Medicaid

[disillusioned1]

Tenn. Drops 323,000 Adults From Medicaid

Mon Jan 10, 6:44 PM ET U.S. National - AP

By MATT GOURAS, Associated Press Writer

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Gov. Phil Bredesen announced Monday that he will drop 323,000 adults from the state's expanded Medicaid program to save about $1.7 billion a year, but will preserve health coverage for children.

The announcement capped weeks of negotiations between Bredesen and health care advocates in an effort to save a Tennessee program that offers coverage to the working poor who make too much money to qualify for regular Medicaid.

Advocates said the cuts would be devastating and pleaded with the governor to reconsider the move.

The governor's plan ends coverage for adults who make more than the Medicaid cutoff, but retains it for more than 100,000 children whose families fall in that range.

...

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050110/ap_on_re_us/tennessee_medicaid

[Erika]

1. It should be noted these are working poor people

They make too much to qualify for aid and too little to be able to pay for insurance. Bush's American caste system.

[disillusioned1]

2. We have two incomes in my house

My husband carries excellent union health benefits, but the copays are outrageous. I had an ovarian cyst removed, out patient, the copays were over $1,800.00.

I can't imagine a working family trying to pay that off, even if they could afford or get health insurance.

[GreenPartyVoter]

6. Yep. King ** wants his serfs poorly cared for.

----------------------------------------------------------
Save this nation one town, county, and state at a time!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/electionreform.htm#why

[LittleClarkie]

3. I hope none of them are in nursing homes

They don't mean the nursing home medicaid, do they?

[Cobalt Violet]

11. No, working peoples medicaid.

Give them time, they'll get to the nursing homes too.

[DaveinMD]

4. this is a direct result of the Bush tax cuts

this causes cuts in aid to the states. So governors have to cut needed programs and bush gets none of the blame.

[Sir Jeffrey]

5. This is also a great example of...

tax the poor at the expense of the rich. If I remember correctly, Tenn. has no state income tax. Sooooo instead of generating revenue from the wealthy by implementing a progressive tax on the wealthy, they just kick the ladder out from underneath the working poor. And this is one of the "values" states right? I mean they did vote Bush this time...

[ClarkUSA]

7. I wonder what TN's Bushie voters think of Republican "moral values"

now?

[Sir Jeffrey]

13. Sadly, the Democratic governor will get all the blame...

this is how sinister the repubs are. They would rather force the hand of the Democratic governor by refusing to accept any other solution (implementing a progressive tax, cutting subsidies in the budget to big business, etc..) because it is good for politics. And believe me, I live in Kentucky so I know the mentality, next election the Repubs will f--- the Dems over on this issue. The average Tenn voter won't remember this.

This is why I am moving north later this year (law school).

[Famine]

14. TN Republican voters WANTED this

The people that voted for Bush in TN have been clamoring for an end to TENNCARE for years, even before he was President. About 1 in 5 Tennesseans are on TENNCARE (plus a load of folks from other states who signed up with bogus addresses). The program threatens to take every new dollar the state is bringing in and it was the major reason given for needing an income tax during the revolt a few years back.

People here equate TENNCARE with the income tax and the income tax is VERY unpopular. The Republicans just got control of the State Senate based on the income tax issue and closed the gap in the House. The Governor tried to implement less draconian measures like copays, limits on prescriptions, generics etc but was blocked by lawsuits from consumer advocates. TENNCARE is one heck of a medical plan and anyone who comes to TN and shows up at a hospital for treatment got signed up until they hit the ceiling.

Bredeson had no choice in what he did. He actually saved more of TENNCARE than most thought possible (for now).

[Telly Savalas]

16. Yup.

According to this site only dividends and interest income are taxed in Tennessee. I'm kind of curious how given such a limited revenue stream they can provide services that would compete with your average third world country. According to the ever popular Tax Foundation report, Tennesse receives $1.29 for every dollar it sends to Washington, so the rest of us are subsidizing the fact that they won't take care of their own shit. Even with that though, I'd be surprised to hear if the schools and roads and what not were actually in acceptable shape there.

Look at the bright side: at least those ex-Medicaid recipients have "gotten the government off their back" as our pals on the right are so fond of saying.

[PurityOfEssence]

8. Cain't have none a that INCOME TAX

Splendid how they still take care of the children, though...At least they understand PR.

[jojo54]

9. Nah, I think it's because he needs the kids

to be healthy adults so they can pay off the huge debts he's creating. I'd still like to know where that 300 (?) mil surplus in 2000 went.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

10. Yeah except their parents will be dead

that works

[jojo54]

12. Now I wonder if other states will follow suit?

Gee, let's see......in the last 3 years, my property taxes went up 30%, food went up I don't know how much (I just know it went up a lot), daycare has gone up (that's why I babysit my grandson), school taxes went thru the roof (although I don't mind paying them - it's for the kids). The only thing that DIDN'T go up, here in Screw-U-Jersey, was my car insurance. Go figure!

[adigal]

15. Bet these "working poor" voted for Bush

and if they did, I will not waste my sympathy on them.