Tennessee has become the first state to submit a Medicaid block grant proposal to federal officials.
If approved, the proposal would allow the state to make changes to its Medicaid program, known as TennCare.
Michele Johnson, executive director of the Tennessee Justice Center, says a block grant would allow Gov. Bill Lee to take federal money, without the accountability.
Proponents of block grants say they would shrink the federal price tag for paying for health care.
Johnson says the federal government will decide on whether or not to approve the state’s request for a Medicaid block grant early next year. She also notes the proposal is open for public comment until Dec. 27.
The public can log onto the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to submit comments at https://public.medicaid.gov/connect.ti/public.comments/answerQuestionnaire?qid=1903395
*Photo: Nearly 1.6 million people in Tennessee rely on Medicaid for health coverage, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. (Adobe Stock)