2022 Tennessee Disability Scorecard Tennessee Receives a D+ For Working Adults with Disabilities. Housing Grade: F 80 of 95 Tennessee counties are too expensive for a person with a disability to purchase a home. Transportation Grade: C- Tennesseans with disabilities rely on public transportation more than those without. Tennessee ranks 39th in the US for the quality of their public transportation system. Medical Debt Grade: F Tennessee has the 5th highest percentage of adults with medical debt in the country. Tennessee has no charity care protections for low-income adults, leading to high levels of debt and low levels of care. Home Health Care Worker Crisis Grade: F Tennessee ranks 43rd in the US for the availability of home healthcare workers, with only 13 workers for every 100 Tennesseans needing care. 17% of Tennesseans receiving home health care end up in the hospital because their home health care worker is unable to meet their needs, which is 3rd highest among US states. Sales Tax Burden Grade: A In Tennessee, durable medical equipment, prescriptions, and mobility devices are all exempt from sales tax. This is similar to most states but saves Tennesseans with disabilities potentially hundreds of dollars per year. Employment Grade: D+ Tennessee workers with disabilities earn 71 cents for every dollar earned by Tennessee workers without disabilities. 33% of Tennessee workers with disabilities are employed, compared to 78% of workers without disabilities. This ranks 44th in the country. Affordability of Care Grade: C+ The AARP ranked Tennessee 35th in the affordability of care for Tennesseans with disabilities. Tennessee had the 16th lowest home health care cost in the US, but ranked 49th in access to Medicaid services. Support for Family Caregivers Grade: F The AARP ranked Tennessee 49th in supporting family members caring for loved ones with disabilities. Tennessee scored “zero” in 6 out of 6 metrics, including paid family leave and mandatory sick leave. References: 1. Housing Costs Link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rMV5fNb-Psw4jE8dvvBS5PH_Aoj07jDfUw9N-6RogBA/edit#gid=0 2. Transportation Costs Link: https://alltransit.cnt.org/rankings/ Link: https://www.bts.gov/travel-patterns-with-disabilities 3. Medical Debt Link: https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_medical-debt-burden-in-the-united-states_report_2022-03.pdf Link: https://www.communitycatalyst.org/initiatives-and-issues/initiatives/hospital-accountability-project/free-care/states/tennessee 4. Employment Link: https://centerondisability.org/ada_parc/utils/counties.php?state=TN&table=30&colour=2 Link: https://therespectabilityreport.org/2019/03/20/tennessee-disability-employment-2019/ 5. Sales Tax Burden Link: https://salestaxhelp.com/states-tax-medical-devices 6. Home Health Care Worker Crisis Link: https://www.longtermscorecard.org/~/media/Microsite/Files/2020/LTSS%202020%20Short% 20Report%20PDF%20923.pdf (page 60) 7. Affordability of Care Link: https://www.longtermscorecard.org/~/media/Microsite/Files/2020/LTSS%202020%20Short%20Report% 20PDF%20923.pdf (pages 44 & 51) 8. Support for Family Caregivers Link: https://www.longtermscorecard.org/~/media/Microsite/Files/2020/LTSS%202020%20Short% 20Report%20PDF%20923.pdf The Tennessee Disability Coalition is an alliance of organizations and individuals across Tennessee who work together to improve the lives of Tennesseans with disabilities. Text TEAMWORK to 72690 to receive Tennessee disability policy updates and alerts sent directly to your phone Msg & Data rates may apply. Avg. 1-4/msg per week.