Opponents say governor’s plan could be devastating
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The spiraling cost of health care in the state, and across the nation, leaves low-income individuals wondering if there are any alternatives to TennCare, if there is a possibility they will be able to get back on the rolls, or if they will simply be left without any health care insurance at all.
Tony Garr, executive director of Tennessee Health Care Campaign, a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to providing affordable health care, says the organization plans to fight Bredesen’s cuts to TennCare.
“We think there are other choices the governor could have made to save money,” Garr said, “and at the same time not terminate people.”
In fact, THCC has presented several ideas to save money on TennCare, which can be viewed at www.tenncare.org, a Web site set up by the organization to address the issues.
“There are four or five things there that could have actually been done two years ago,” Garr said, “that the state could do without a waiver, that the state needs to do just because they’re the right thing to do, that the governor has neglected to do, and we don’t understand why he hasn’t moved forward with any of that.”
The alternatives for those dropped from the rolls are, unfortunately, minimal, according to Garr.
“They don’t have many,” Garr said. “That’s the problem. Most of these folks are low income. A significant number are under poverty levels. They actually are impoverished. By and large the majority of these folks, at least 80 percent, probably will go totally uninsured. They’re not going to be able to find any health insurance anywhere else.”
Though hospitals around the state realize the move will affect their bottom line, most are prepared to deal with the situation and have made it clear no one will be denied medical care.
Karen Walker, spokesperson for Tri-Star Health System, parent corporation of River Park Hospital, said the company has been looking at ways to handle this kind of situation for some time, and offered at least some alternatives for those affected by the TennCare cuts.
“In October of 2003, HCA was one of the first hospital companies in the country to establish a formal discount system. On Jan. 6 of this year, they revised it further,” Walker said. “This may be relevant for the people there in Warren County.”
The system is pretty simple, according to Walker.
“Anybody that comes in initially, obviously, if they need care, the hospital is going to take care of them.” Once they receive care, if they have no insurance, the first thing the hospital will do is see if they qualify for Medicaid. If not, the next move is to look at the individual’s income level.
“If they make 200 percent of the federal poverty level or less,” Walker said, “they would qualify for charity care, and that would be free care.”
For those who make over 200 percent of the poverty level, there is a third option which is a discount system similar to local managed care plans, which offer significant discounts.
Walker pointed out local health departments will have some health care resources for those without insurance, and that there are also non-profit organizations that provide charity care, or offer care at an extreme discount based on an individual’s income level.
Meanwhile, Garr had some advice for those who may be caught up in the cuts.
“This is what I tell people,” Garr said. “If you do nothing, then the likelihood of losing your insurance is higher. The only way you will not lose your health insurance is if you become politically active. You’ve got to pull your head out of the sand, you’ve got to talk to your state legislators, you’ve got to look at them eyeball to eyeball, and make sure they understand what they’re doing. And if you don’t talk to your legislator, then they’re going to assume everything is OK. This is a Tennessee problem, this is not a federal problem, and our state legislators need to be held accountable for this.”