First Deadline for TennCare Reverification Passes, Despite Advocate Protests

The first deadline for 225,000 people in TennCare, Tennessee's Medicaid managed care program, to confirm their eligibility and avoid losing their benefits passed on Oct. 29, the Tennessean reports. The state had mailed the first batch of notification letters in July. Beneficiaries who fail to reply will be dropped from the program (Lewis, Tennessean, 10/30). The eligibility reverification is the result of a waiver approved earlier this year by the federal government that allows the state to restructure eligibility and benefits offered under TennCare. The waiver requires TennCare to reverify all non-Medicaid-eligible beneficiaries' eligibility; about 159,000 current beneficiaries are expected to be found ineligible under the new guidelines, according to state officials. The state has sent out three batches of letters reminding beneficiaries to complete the reverification process at their local Department of Health Services office within 90 days (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 10/23). The state mailed two more batches of letters in August and September; recipients face deadlines of Nov. 29 and Dec. 29, respectively (Tennessean, 10/30). Enrollees who are dropped from the program have 10 days to appeal and maintain coverage during the appeal process. While beneficiaries can appeal lost coverage up to 30 days later, reinstated coverage will not continue past 10 days. Health advocates said confusion about the reverification process would result in about 350,000 beneficiaries being improperly dropped from the program, a situation that could further crowd hospital emergency rooms, "overwhelm clinics and result in premature deaths," the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports (Powers, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 10/29). Advocates rallied on Oct. 29 to urge TennCare officials to extend the Oct. 29 deadline until July 2003. TennCare spokesperson Lola Potter, noting that the program is adhering to rules approved by the state Legislature, said, "That's not going to happen" (Tennessean, 10/3).