Tennessee Governor Says Gubernatorial Candidates Are ‘Misleading Voters’ About TennCare Reforms

Tennessee Governor Don Sundquist (R) said that gubernatorial candidates for the November election are "misleading voters" by insisting that reforming TennCare, the state's Medicaid managed care program, will bring large savings, the AP/Memphis Commercial Appeal reports. Sundquist, who appointed the Commission on the Future of TennCare in 2000 to recommend program changes, said that calls by Republican candidate Van Hilleary and Democrat Phil Bredesen to "tighten" TennCare eligibility and "improve" the eligibility verification process have been achieved through a federal waiver the state recently received (Sharp, AP/Memphis Commercial Appeal, 9/27). The waiver allows the state to restructure eligibility and benefits offered under the program. It calls for the creation of TennCare Medicaid, which would cover Medicaid-eligible individuals, and TennCare Assist, which would provide low-income workers assistance in purchasing private health insurance. Further, the waiver permits the creation of TennCare Standard for adults with no access to group insurance and annual incomes below the poverty level, or $8,860 for an individual; children in families with annual incomes below 200% of the poverty level, $36,200 for a family of four, and no access to group insurance; and medically eligible people with illnesses that make them uninsurable (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 8/30). Hilleary spokesperson Frank Cagle said the waiver is "a good first step," but that the candidate has gathered his own task force to study health care and propose changes for the program. Lydia Lenker, a spokesperson for Bredesen, said that the candidate "believes Sundquist has taken positive steps with the waiver but that it is a giant step between the plan as it exists and making it work for Tennesseans." Sundquist said, "It ought to be obvious to anyone who understands this waiver that there aren't huge savings to be found in TennCare. If they're going to find new money for education and so forth, they'll have to look elsewhere" (AP/Memphis Commercial Appeal, 9/27).