(Tennessee) Governor Begins Dissolving TennCare

[Newsjock]

http://www.newschannel5.com/content/news/7814.asp

Governor Phil Bredesen announced Wednesday morning that the state will begin to disolve TennCare and return to the Medicaid program.

Bredesen said the state can no longer afford TennCare without serious reform.

... Up to 400,000 Tennesseans could lose their medical coverage if the state eliminates the TennCare program.

[Yavin4]

1. Tenn. Went for Bush

Oh well, at least Gays can't get married. That's much more important than people having healthcare.

[Straight Shooter]

5. In my heart I blamed Tennessee in 2000, for abandoning their native son

I lived in East Tennessee for quite a few years. It's just that the buckle of the bible belt kept reaching up and smacking me, and I had to leave.

Shame on them. The Volunteer State has lost its courage.

[agingdem]

13. Guess they needed their ...

assault weapons more than they needed healthcare. Not my problem.

[MallRat]

2. Yikes. Bredesen is one of ours.

Is this a scare tactic to bring the parties to the table?

-MR

[Pithlet]

8. It's a result

of all the voters who continue to vote down an income tax here. But, we got a lottery. Woohoo!

TennCare has been on the block for awhile, and it is no surprise to me tha this is happening.

[Claire Beth]

25. i agree....

a state income tax would be the answer but the people hear "state income tax" and panic before understanding how it would benefit them. I guess they had rather pay 10 cents on every dollar.

[kristndem]

27. no surprise at all

This state is so regressive when it comes to taxation.

[mmichaelak]

29. income tax freakout

same kind of thing here in the Alaskan Reich. Former senator Frank "murky dealings" Murkowski ran against a state income tax or any other tax, so now we have a bunch of new "user fees" and less services and infrastructure. Cuts to the elderly, childcare and the cities and towns. Then he names his daughter as his replacement as senator. Have to love nepotism!

[pinerow]

3. Tough doo-doo for those who voted their "moral values"

nt

[Az_lefty]

4. What did they expect? They vote for the chimp this is what they get.

[daa]

6. Welcome to compassionate conservatism

people voted for this and I am laughing my ass off as they get theirs. Whether it is 10,000 laid off at SBC, or 3000 at March, or the attack on Falluja a couple days AFTER the election. Fuck em. They can all feel safe with no job and no health care. But the gays can't get married and maybe the rich will drop a dime from their tax cuts.

Stupid people (literally) voted repuke and this is what they get.

[Elidor]

17. Bredesen is a democrat, in case you didn't know

Yeah, we voted for this - when we voted for a democrat. This stinks.

[daa]

36. I just mean nationwide

everybody thinks they are safe and they are now getting royally screwed. Repukes here have kicked 45,000 kids off of Peachcare and want more., plus 10 to 15 percent hikes in tuition, plus kicking old folks out of nursing homes.

If your guy is a democrat is that what he ran on? How did he get elected in the primary?

[shrike]

7. Another candidate for "I Don't Give a Fuck" day?

My sympathies for all the good Dems down there. I knew a Dem who relied TennCare for her medical care. Fortunately, she's left the state.

[Claire Beth]

20. well....

it has come to the point now that I DON'T GIVE A FUCK....I live here in TN but it is going to have to get SOOO bad that it effects the people who support Chimpy....then maybe some will FINALLY see what is happening. I feel bad for the children and for those who voted for Kerry.

[Unstuck In Time]

9. Ah, yes. Return to Medicaid, so we suckers in the blue states...

... can help foot the bill. Which Moral Value is this, now?

[XanaDUer]

10. Oh, well.

...

[zbdent]

11. But hey, you might save a dime on your taxes

Woo hoooo!

[gatorboy]

First Bush softening immigration laws for cheap labour.

Now this. I just love these after election surprises! They couldn't even wait a week to show their true colors...

[PurityOfEssence]

12. Yep, income tax is the devil's levy; can't have any of that

Welcome to the New Meanness: The Ownership Society, where if you don't own lots of things, you're not part of society.

[Claire Beth]

14. Believe me...noone is anymore disgusted....

than us democrats here in TN.

[FDRLincoln]

15. blue Tenn, red Tenn

To the Blue Friend Tennesseans who will suffer from this, you have my deepest sympathy, and I wish there was a way I could help.

To the Red Enemy Tennsseans who voted for Bush and will suffer from this, I feel sorry for your children, but not for you. THIS IS WHAT YOU VOTED FOR. You deserve it.

[Claire Beth]

18. I understand your feelings....

I live in TN and I am so sick of these people who vote republican.

[tnlefty]

19. The bush*bots are already whining about this 'cause it's some of their

relatives who are getting dumped. For those who voted for bush*, I truly don't give a shit.

[rodeodance]

16. we have badgercare in WI------but we are blue (for now)

[pdx_prog]

21. I hate to hear that....

My mother is on Tenncare....she is retired and trying to live on her SS. Lot's of people in Tn depend on it..:(

[SoCalDem]

31. This is how "ownership" society works.

As far as Tennessee cares now, you will "own" your mother.:eyes:, and to qualify for any assistance, she must now become fully impoverished. So instead of getting healthcare, so she can remain a productive citizen, they are extorting her for all that she has, in exchange for her health.

There will be many 50 & 60 somethings who will be shouldering an even higher share of the costs for their aging parents...just at the time when THEIR children are needing help to start setting up their own households...and when those 50/60's should be accelerating their savingd for their OWN retirement (Ha!)..

The only thing I agree with on this issue is the fact that individual states should not HAVE to run their own healthcare system.. Citizens cannot feel free to move from state to state if "certain" states have healthcare, and others do now. ALL citizens should have a basic healthcare plan ..no matter what state they live in.

[pdx_prog]

22. It would have happened regardless of who was voted in...

[Yavin4]

24. Not True

Kerry said that he would have expanded Medicaid to include people slightly above the poverty line. This would have expanded the coverage.

So, what you're saying is false. A Kerry presidency would have meant healthcare for these people. Plain and simple.

[Atlant]

23. How tragic! (NT)

[toopers]

26. Why is everyone blaming Bushco for this?

TennCare is a state issue and is being disolved by a democratic governor. I am not sure why the Feds are being invoked.

[sandnsea]

28. Funding cuts

Bush cut the federal funding for these programs and other programs to the states. The states can't afford to keep these programs anymore. And you'd be surprised, there's people right on this board who argued with me about medical programs and cited their inexpensive Tennessee health care. Yep, we're all wearing the blue dress now.

[mmichaelak]

30. Federal funds

Federal matching funds or federal medicaid dollars sent to the states have been slashed under Bush. This was done in the name of fiscal conservatism so they could say they are trying to control the federal budget. Well, we all know that is a patent lie.
What does it mean for compassionate conservatism? Well, if you make just enough to get by on and can not contribute to the Republikan party in a big way, then your medical coverage gets slashed. All because you can't hire a lobbyist.

[DuaneBidoux]

33. If even 1/2 of the tax cuts that had gone to the top 1% had been

given to the states, the economy would have already been truly booming for regular folks. We have yet to see but the beginning. 05 and 06 budgets coming out of Bushco will force states into terrible budgetary binds leading to massive layoffs, impoverished families being cut off from aid, etc. And it won't matter whether the state is being run by Dem or Repug, they'll all be forced into the same choices. Remember, Feds can borrow and/or print money, states cannot.

States have had all kinds of unfunded mandates from the Feds for the last four years, during some of the roughest budgetary periods they've ever experienced, all the while having their funding cut.

I'm truly sorry for the poor of Tennessee. I hold no malice toward anyone. As Jesus said, "Forgive them they know not what they do."

Education is expensive, but ignorance for some may now mean death.

[bsm1970]

32. Unfortunately, he had his hand forced...

...by overzealous advocates. TennCare currently takes up 26% of the overall state budget and was on target to gobble up a much higher percentage of every new tax dollar coming in. Bredesen wanted to bring some common sense reforms to it in terms of accountability, coverage, and so on but advocates for the status quo took it to court to block the changes.

Sadly, because of the "all or nothing" mentality of some, 400k people will lose health care coverage instead of having a plan that even in scaled back form was a darn good health care plan.

[Zero Gravitas]

34. You get what you vote for

I'm sure some church will be willing to step in and help out with health care costs. not.

[Karna]

35. hahhahaha old people!

you voted for bush now get some!

[angrydemocrat]

37. Not all The Dem Governor .................

Fault on this one. Bredesen inherited a damn mess from our former republican governor Don Sunquist(Which was a total ass). The same applys to a governor inheriting another ones mess as would it if Kerry would have inherited Bush's mess. There is no way he could fix the mess overnight. Bredeson was like many of us hoping for a Kerry victory because if Kerry had been elected it would have helped Tennessee on health care as it would many other states. Unfortunately we have to many dumbass repugs here that don't understand reality until it slaps them in the face. Well I hope like hell they get slapped so hard they are knocked on their ass! The Tenn Care system has been on a down hill cline for years now thanks to a**wipes like Don Sunquist and Bill Frist. This shit didn't just happen when Bredesen got elected. He was handed a mess that without a serious overhaul this kind of crap was going to happen. When your funds have been cut and you have a senator named Bill Frist (that by the way has a family that was caught for medicaid fraud he was just able to cover his up better or his name would be right there with daddy-o and the others) that worries more about how much the big croanies and what his doctor freinds make verses the health of his and every other doctor of Tennessee's patients and a dumbass president that don't care about anybody other than the big drug companies this is the kind of crap that is bound to happen reguardless of how good a governor you got! Repugs have been destroying eveything good about Tennessee ever since Al Gore give up the senate and became vice president. From that point on all the hell we ever seen to get is dumba** repugs. That in itself spells disaster no matter what state you are from because it is a proven fact that repugs are destructionists! If Bredesen would have had support from the Senators and President this would not be happening. So may all the Repugs in Tennessee rot in hell they are getting what they voted for!

[Erika]

38. No money for our needy

Just for other countrie's needy paid for by our taxes at the cost of services to our own. Bushie planned. He has zero problem in sending our kids to their deaths. You don't see the Bushie Twins offering to go. Like Babs Bush, they don't want their beautiful minds exposed to dead kids. That horror is reserved for the working class.

[Erika]

39. Boycott W' Supporters

If you have a hope for peace in the world.

[happyslug]

40. Duplicate Story:

See below for 11/10/04 Thread on this Story:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x977700

Also some background on Medicaid:

Remember Medicaid is a joint Federal-State program, where the Feds will match whatever any state will pay for Medicaid or Welfare. No State (that I Know of) goes to the Federal limit for welfare (Which is the "Standard of Need" Set by the Feds in 2004 at $564.00.

Simply put each state can double the money going to its welfare recipients if any state would max out the federal grant. The States refuse and often balance their budgets by cutting welfare (and giving up the matching funds).

Do to this the Fed came up with the CHIP program (NOW SCHIP) which is to help people not eligible for Medicaid but still low income. This is 90% Federally Funded but the state's hate it for people hear of it, sign up for it, and are denied FOR THEIR INCOME IS SO LOW THEIR ARE ELIGIBLE FOR MEDICAID. State than have to pay their 50% co-share instead of the 10% co-share. SCHIP has been called a "Medicaid magnet" for it attracts to Medicaid people who are eligible for Medicaid but have not signed up for Medicaid (Not knowing it was available for them).

For information on Medicaid see:
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/states/default.asp

For information on SCHIP (Formerly CHIP) program:
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/schip/consumers_default.asp

Information on Tennessee Medicaid Program:
http://www.state.tn.us/tenncare /


And another Thread on Welfare Cuts:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=114x12367

[Sugarbleus]

41. My deepest heartfelt sympathies Tennesseans :-(

"The blame goes here, the blame goes there", blah blah.. But at the end of the day, PEOPLE ARE STILL SUFFERING. Unfortunately the misery will spead out and be felt by all but the wealthiest there. :(

This trend, under Neo Con fascists AND under Dems who have lost their focus, will spread out across the country. I/we expect to be kicked in the crotch before long, even here in a "blue" state.

Help each other Tenns, pull together; fight this thing and know we, "The PEOPLE of the United States Of America" care about you.

My warmest embrace :hug: SB