State To Intervene In Federal Lawsuit Challenging TennCare Block Grant chattanoogan.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from chattanoogan.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Sharon Hurt is the executive director of StreetWorks, a leading Tennessee HIV service organization, and an at-large Metro Nashville Council member.
Recently, Gov. Bill Lee applauded the federal government’s approval of Tennessee’s Medicaid waiver, which gives the state additional flexibilities in how it spends its federal Medicaid dollars in exchange for limits on those funds. This arrangement, often referred to as a block grant, has never been tried before, in any state, and establishes a dangerous precedent for how states think about their use of federal Medicaid funds and for patient access to lifesaving and life-changing medicines.
Though its fate is unclear under the Joe Biden administration, our state’s leaders must nevertheless seriously reconsider continuing to operate under the terms of this waiver.
The 112
th General Assembly of the state of Tennessee convened on Tuesday, January 12, for an organizational session to begin the first year of the two-year session. During the organizational session, members were sworn in and leadership elections were held. Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) and Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) were both reelected. The three state constitutional officers’ elections were also held. Treasurer David Lillard and Secretary of State Tre Hargett were both reelected. Jason Mumpower will serve as the new Comptroller of the Treasury. Mumpower’s predecessor, Justin Wilson, announced his retirement in 2020.
Committee Structure Changes and Assignments
Tennessee governor signs Medicaid block grant waiver
Tennessee governor signs Medicaid block grant waiver By WMC Action News 5 Staff | January 15, 2021 at 4:55 PM CST - Updated January 15 at 5:59 PM
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Governor Bill Lee has signed the block grant waiver resolution, and the model goes into effect immediately.
After passing both the House and Senate, Tennessee will become the first state to get Medicaid funding in a lump sum.
This means health care coverage for 1.4 million Tennesseans will change soon.
The Trump administration already approved the Medicaid block grant waiver amendment. President-elect Joe Biden has opposed block grant efforts.