The Tennessee state Legislature has released a new proposal for Medicaid expansion, which prioritizes veterans and those with mental health needs, according to The Tennessean.
The proposal is the product of Tennessee General Assembly House Speaker Beth Harwell's (R) 3-Start Healthy Task Force. To be enacted, the proposal needs both federal approval from CMS and state approval.
Here are seven things to know about Tennessee's proposed Medicaid expansion.
1. The first attempt to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act was a plan called Insure Tennessee, which was presented by Gov. Bill Haslam (R) in January 2015.
2. Gov. Haslam's plan was comprised of two parts. The first was called the Volunteer Plan, which covered a portion of an individual's health insurance premium. The second part was the Healthy Incentives Plan, which applied to people with an income of between 100 percent and 138 percent of the poverty line. Eligible consumers would pay lower-cost premiums and co-pays for healthcare services. The program also created incentives for people who visited primary care providers or demonstrated responsible utilization of emergency room services, according to the report.
3. However, Insure Tennessee did not gain enough support to pass, even after two separate votes.
4. After the failure of Insure Tennessee, Rep. Harwell created a task force in April 2016 to address healthcare access and improvement in the state. The latest Medicaid expansion proposal — which has not yet been named — was produced by the task force.
5. Under the first phase of the plan, consumers of up to 138 percent of the poverty line would be eligible to enroll in expanded Medicaid if they have a mental illness diagnosis or proof of honorable discharge from the U.S. military.
6. If the first phase goes smoothly, the second phase will allow anyone up to the income threshold to enroll in the program, according to the report.
7. Approval from CMS is not guaranteed, because the federal government generally does not favor state proposals that impose restrictions on who can sign up.