TennCare reform plan exactly what state needs
Gov. Phil Bredesen laid out a TennCare reform proposal last week that was exactly what Tennesseans needed to hear.
In the most anticipated speech he has given to date as governor, Bredesen presented a proposal that does not remove any of the 1.3 million people now on TennCare but puts reasonable limits and common sense priorities on the program.
The limits, while new to TennCare, bring the state in line with coverage in other states and would change a system that now has virtually no limits on care.
Bredesen says the changes would result in saving $2.5 billion over four years. The motivation is simple: Without the restrictions, TennCare will die.
There are reasonable limits, and few should find fault with them. Naturally, there will be enrollees with special circumstances. So the governor’s safety net proposal is key.
It would set up a review panel that would have authority to make adjustments in those cases. It would also use “safety net” hospitals to handle enrollees who cannot afford the copays. At every turn, the plan protects children, pregnant women and the disabled from the limits.
The governor is now promoting the plan across the state. Details should be discussed and debated. A million questions will arise about implementation. But in broad terms, the governor made a convincing argument that he saw the light at the end of the tunnel on TennCare. That is excellent news for a state that is eager for a program that works.