elected to "Fix TennCare, not put Tennesseans in a fix."
Tennesseans, many of whom supported Phil Bredesen for Governor in 2002, believe he's being a harsh extremist in calling for cutting 323,000 TennCare recipients from the program and causing the State to lose $1.2 billion in federal matching funds. Several appeared at the State of the State address to protest his plans.
Citizens for Ethical Public Policy (CEPP) urges the Governor and lawmakers to support viable alternatives that won't harm the medically needy. No one is suggesting that the Governor is callous. Yet given that he’s balking at reforms that will reduce TennCare costs in the long-term, but not in the short-term, one must wonder why. One thought is that Bredesen is ignoring the most humane solutions because he needs an easy way to balance the last budget before he ramps up for a reelection bid in 2006.
Citizens for Ethical Public Policy (CEPP) reminds Gov. Bredesen that he is answerable to the people who elected him to serve, not the other way around. He promised to fix TennCare, not put hundreds of thousands of Tennesseans in a fix.
CEPP wants the governor to know that if he continues to break from his base, pander to the Right, and put his political welfare ahead of the overall health and welfare of Tennesseans, he will have a tough time winning a second term. They believe the numbers are on their side.
In 2002, Bredesen hobbled into the State Capitol by of margin of less than 53,000 votes. Many Republicans admitted to voting for him because they couldn't muster support for their party's lackluster candidate. Most believe the GOP will run a much better candidate in 2006. Therefore Bredesen needs to come home.
Gov. Bredesen stubbornly insists upon cutting many otherwise uninsurable people and/or those with debilitating or life threatening health problems from TennCare. A little more than one sixth of the number he’s cutting represent his margin of victory in 2002. What are the odds of any of the 323,000 voting for him in 2006 if he turns his back on them now? Can he really afford to lose their support and the support of non-enrollee voters who oppose the cuts?
Staunch Democrats may tow the party line, but some won't. And what about moderate and left-of-center independents? Perhaps Dems and Indies won't veer Right like Bredesen has, but they can opt to stay home.
Gov. Bredesen shouldn’t play politics with the health and lives of hundreds of thousands of the people he was elected to serve and expect to maintain a healthy political life.
every 20 hours
if 323,000
people are removed
from TennCare
-University of Tennessee Center for Health Services Research, March 2002
Over 200,000 people have chronic and/or life-threatening medical conditions like diabetes, kidney disease (dialysis patients), cancer, heart conditions, severe physical disability, and severe mental illness. Thousands more have medical conditions that they cannot afford to get care for if they’re cut from TennCare.
Who is slated to be cut?
- 97,000 medically needy poor adults (elderly, disabled, caregivers who are medically bankrupt and have no way to pay their medical bills);
- 67,000 uninsurable adults certified by doctors as having serious medical conditions;
- 38,000 Medicare enrollees needing prescription drugs and certified by doctors as having serious medical conditions;
- 121,000 poor adults (earning less than $776/mo.), many with serious mental health conditions.
Working-age Americans without health insurance are more likely to:
- Receive too little medical care and receive it too late;
- Be sicker and die sooner;
- Receive poorer care when they are in the hospital even for acute situations like a motor vehicle crash.
-Institute of Health, "Care without Coverage: Too Little Too Late"
May 2002.
- Not produce the level of savings Gov. Bredesen is seeking;
- Cost Tennessee $1.2 billion in matching federal funds ($2 federal for each $1 state);
- Reduce business activity by $1.6 billion;
- Cause 14,500 jobs to be lost;
- Cause loss of over $1 Billion a year in health care services and would have to be absorbed as “uncompensated care” by health care providers;
- Result in higher taxes and insurance premiums for others; and
- People will die.
It doesn't have to be this way:
Cost-saving reforms are on the table, but Gov. Bredesen is refusing to play ball. Reforms include:
- Drug Utilization
- Mandatory use of Perferred Drug List (PDL)
- Mandate use of therapeutic equivalent Generics
- Go back to risk contracts (HMOs)
- Help from federal govt. via grant as other states have done
For more information, www.tenncare.org ; 800-280-8682