Speaking Out on TennCare Cuts

Last Wednesday, the Coalition hosted a press conference at the Capitol in Nashville with Andy Imparato, Executive Director of the American Association of People with Disabilities, and other about the proposed Amendment 9 cuts to TennCare.  In a packed room the media and advocates heard about propose cuts that would:

• Limit in-patient hospital services to $10,000 annually
• Limit coverage to 8 visits to a physician's office annually
• Eliminate coverage of hospice care
• Eliminate coverage for occupatoinal, speach, and physical therapies
• Among others reductions

Media Reports of the Event

News 4 Report - Jessica Pipkin is the face of thousands who have already seen the impact of TennCare cuts. She's a quadriplegic, and the loss of her 24-hour nursing care could force her to leave her family. To read more.

News 4 Video - Video link.

News 5 Report - The head of a national advocacy group for the disabled said Tennessee's proposed cuts to its expanded Medicaid program could eventually have a negative effect on the state's economy. To read more and see video.

News 17 Report - A car accident left Jessica Pipkin a quadrapalegic. Never looked up and I hit the inside corner of a curb and hit another car head on," said Pipkin. She's been on TennCare ever since and that's why she went to the State Capitol Wednesday to tell lawmakers she can't live with 9 doctor's visits a year. To read more and see video.

Nashville Public Radio - Dylan Brown of Hendersonville gets around in a wheelchair. He also works at the Center for Independent Living helping other disabled Tennesseans find a way to live better. To read more, including extended quotes (excerpted below).

Dylan Brown - “If I didn’t have a disability, I could live off my salary, and …pay my own way with rent and all my bills and I’d be fine, but since I do have a disability there’s a lot of costs that go along with that. And with TennCare coverage I get durable medical equipment covered, and private duty nursing covered.”

Anthony Fox, TN Mental Health Consumers' Association - "TennCare participants are the most medically and financially challenged citizens of Tennessee. Many individuals will be forced away from basic medical and mental health treatment because of the inability to pay for the co-pay of transportation."

Andy Imparato - "Tennessee has been slow to provide services and supports in the community. They’ve got a pretty disproportionate percentage of their money going to institutions, nursing homes, and other settings.”