This map shows which states have expanded Medicaid (dark orange), which have not (dark green), and which are still on the fence (light green). States shaded in light orange have received permission from the Obama Administration to customize their expansion. Governor Haslam wants federal officials to approve his “Tennessee Plan” for Medicaid. Image: The Commonwealth Fund
A group of Republican state Senators is proposing a “stopgap” measure as an alternative to expanding Medicaid to the working poor. It comes as Governor Haslam says he’s still trying to negotiate an expansion and hospital are getting antsy over whether it will happen. Andrea Zelinski writes about the senators’ proposal in the Nashville Post:
“The lawmakers say they want to build “a community safety net as opposed to the ER safety net” they say is now used by people below 138 percent of the federal poverty level who lack health care coverage, said Sen. Mark Green, R-Clarksville.”
“If Medicaid expansion does not happen, we want something in place to serve these people,” said Green, a physician and health care administration who sees the plan as one focusing on primary care and chronic disease management for people not covered by TennCare but making too little money to buy discounted insurance on the federal health care exchange.”
Zelinski talks more about the “stopgap” with WPLN’s Bradley George.
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