Faced with a $650 million shortfall to pay for his state's Medicaid program, Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen cut 191,000 low-income people from the struggling health plan.The Democrats probably could win promoting this guy as a Southern Governor with fiscal restraint but don't hold your breath: they'd probably rather run a Northeastern liberal Senator.
That action and other cost-saving measures outraged advocates nationwide, who accused the Democratic governor and former health care executive of endangering the well-being of the state's poorest residents.
Similar criticism has greeted Bredesen's latest move, which is unmatched anywhere in the country: Tennessee is the only state that won't pay to cover a widely used class of anti-seizure medications for 560,000 poor adult Medicaid enrollees.
In addition, Tennessee is the only state that won't cover these people for eight other types of drugs - including fertility and weight-loss medications - that the federal government allows states to purchase under Medicaid.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Tennessee's moves to cut health care costs raise national eyebrows
Knight-Ridder reports:
