Federal Judge John Nixon wants a court appointed special master to again look into the progress the state is making with regards to children’s healthcare.
The special master was originally appointed in 2001, but has taken a year-long hiatus while enrollee advocates and the state worked out other issues. TennCare spokesman Michael Drescher says the state is getting more children in for health screenings and doesn’t want to pay for the special master’s continued oversight.
“A couple of weeks ago we were back in federal court objecting to being asked to pay more than 200-thousand dollars in bills for the special master for the past year when he has largely been asked to stand down. We think that’s objectionable and we told the federal court that given the fact that they, they’re oversight was suspended, that we shouldn’t, the taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to pay more than 200-thousand dollars in fees.”
The special master was appointed to make sure the state had a plan to improve the number of children going in for screenings and vaccinations. Gordon Bonnyman of the Tennessee Justice Center says the special master’s duties are now more narrowly focused on evaluation.
“If the state is saying, ‘well, we don’t need the special master to comply, that’s fine, they don’t have to use the special master. The special master’s present role is to find out whether in fact they are in compliance, and if they aren’t in compliance, whether the plan they have for getting there is going to work or not.”
The special master was appointed in the wake of a 1998 settlement between the Tennessee Justice Center and the state – a settlement now called the John B. consent decree.
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