Tennessee won't bite Biden's Medicaid carrot

[TexasTowelie]

Tennessee is likely to reject hundreds of millions of dollars President Joe Biden is offering states to expand Medicaid as part of his $1.3 trillion COVID-19 relief package, even though hundreds of thousands of people remain without healthcare coverage.

Democrats have been urging the state’s top Republican leaders for years to accept the federal government’s funds to increase TennCare coverage to 300,000-plus uninsured and underinsured residents caught in a gap between the state’s Medicaid plan and the Affordable Care Act. Some estimates put the figure at 600,000.

Tennessee, one of 12 states holding out on Medicaid expansion since the Affordable Care Act passed, could receive $1.7 billion to provide insurance for the working poor and more money to cover the people already on TennCare, according to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a left-leaning organization.

But even if the Biden Administration sweetens the pot with COVID-19 relief money, Republicans in Tennessee are expected to turn it down, especially after receiving approval for a Medicaid modified block grant or “shared savings program.”

Read more: https://tennesseelookout.com/2021/02/18/tennessee-wont-bite-bidens-medicaid-carrot/

[Ohiogal]

1. Rick Perry:

“Tennesseans would rather get sick and die than accept any government money for health care.”

[LakeArenal]

2. What he said....

[Budi]

3. Texas too. Enough is enough. 🤬

[Just_Vote_Dem]

4. Repigs are fucking sociopaths

I (and several family members) would not be alive today if wasn't for Medicaid help years ago

[SleeplessinSoCal]

5. TN has bad Covid numbers. it is also struggling with unusual weather.

Maybe Music City could help with an awakening. And that includes business interests.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/big-blue-dot-deep-red-state-ready-biden-n1245527

Relating to storms. Tennessee relies on US.

"While the "unprecedented" winter storm that continues to grip much of the U.S. and the Mid-South has left millions without power, Tennessee was able to avoid these extended outages and rolling blackouts.

Aaron Paul Melda, transmission and power supply senior vice president for the Tennessee Valley Authority, says the utility's continued reliability is a product of its dedicated workforce and its public power system model.

We have been built and funded by the people of the United States and the Tennessee Valley and are beholden to them alone," he said, adding that the utility can plan its grid and operations more conservatively in the absence of investor pressure."

[OldBaldy1701E]

6. Of course not.

There is too much money being made from things remaining like they are now. The rethug controlled legislature is not going to let all that slip away...