Previous naysayers are coming around to the idea of expanding Tennessee’s Medicaid Program. Even while criticizing the Affordable Care Act, they say pulling more poor people into TennCare could have some upsides.
Lawmakers in Tennessee are watching Florida closely after the state’s conservative Republican governor went along with a major piece of the Affordable Care Act. Governor Bill Haslam is still on the fence about expanding the state’s Medicaid program – known as TennCare.
A measure that would allow Tennessee to approach Congress about forming its own health care system has failed this year. The proposal sponsored by Republican Rep. Mark Pody of Lebanon failed with a 9 - 9 House Insurance and Banking Committee vote Tuesday.
The state’s hospitals are playing out the “what if’s” as lawmakers consider whether to expand Medicaid as part of the federal health care overhaul. Their study says 90,000 Tennessee jobs could be lost if the expansion does not occur.
