The TennCare bureau will soon be reopening one of the eligibility categories it closed in 2005, when the state removed 170-thousand individuals from the program due to concerns about rapidly escalating costs.
The new category is for adults whose net income is reduced to 241-dollars per month because of high medical bills they can’t pay.
Except for pregnant women and children, the category was closed to new enrollment. TennCare Director Darin Gordon says the 50-thousand other adults who were already in the category in 2005 will be moved into the new program.
“These were 50-thousand enrollees that until the new program was open were basically sitting in limbo. They were still receiving services under a Medicaid category but we now, that the new category is opening, reverify to make sure they’re still eligible for this program.”
The new spend-down category will be limited to 100-thousand people who will be eligible for 12-months at a time.
Reopening the category was contingent upon the bureau receiving a new waiver for the entire program, which it did earlier this month. However, the bureau still has to present a plan for the spend-down category to the federal government for approval by November 4th.
If negotiations run smoothly, Gordon expects the program will be up and running in about 6-weeks.
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