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Message from Randy Alexander, ADAPT
Message from Jacob Flowers
DAY THIRTY: Bredesen Plan Bloated With Institutional Inefficiency.
Final day of Grier evidence shows governor will cause great harm.
 (NASHVILLE, July 19, 2005) The Grier case ended today with state Representative Joey Hensley testifying that Governor Bredesen’s healthcare cuts would cause great harm. The governor has flipped on his agreements and taken TennCare enrollees back to court to change the terms of the settlements he made last year.
“I face these people. I heal these people. I have to see them every day,” said Hensley. “I want to do everything possible to continue coverage for as many people as I can.”
Activists have held a sit-in at Bredesen’s office for 30 days highlighting the anger felt by citizens because of his broken promise to fix TennCare. The Tennessee governor has instead chosen to massively reduce the program disqualifying nearly 300,000 people from healthcare services, and losing $1.2 billion in funding.
Previous testimony has shown that Bredesen’s plan will not save money, significantly reduce quality and jeopardize healthcare in the state. The governor’s untested proposal is a return to basic Medicaid. The governor has presented his plan after refusing to include cost-saving ideas to the TennCare program that would save 14,500 Tennessee jobs and retain $1.6 billion in state business revenues.
Bredesen, likewise, has broken his promise not to cut private duty nursing services for ventilator users in the state. People that need services with care of vents will be forced from their homes into expensive and undesirable institutional settings.
Tennessee is the worst US state at providing long-term care alternatives to high-priced nursing homes. For every dollar spent on cost-saving community services, the state spends $149 on inefficient facilities. Bredesen is planning to cut the few home and community options that help people avoid institutions creating an even more costly long-term care budget bloated by nursing homes.
A partnership with mental health agencies may benefit as many as 20,000 citizens. To register for patient assistance and reduced cost of medications call the Health Options Hotline at: (888) 486-9355.
-Tim Wheat
ADAPT of Tennessee supports the occupation and demands of the Citizens to Save TennCare Capitol
Sit-In!
ADAPT of Tennessee is part of the fight to stop the cuts in TENNCARE.
There are 6,485 people with disabilities, old and young in Tennessee who are fighting for the right to move out of nursing homes and to be included in our communities. Medicaid is a vital program for our health services and our community based long term services and supports.
By changing our long term care system the state could save millions which could then be used to save TennCare. ADAPT of Tennessee wants Governor
Bredesen to support the following changes:
- Adoption of a Money Follows the Person Policy so people can choose to receive support services and live in the community;
- Funding of "Relocation Specialists" so transition assistance is available to people with disabilities who choose to relocate from nursing homes to the community;
- Access to the data in the MDS survey that identifies those in nursing homes who want to move into the community;
- Adoption of a plan that will allow consumer direction/self-determination in all Medicaid funded community long term service and support programs;
- Legislation or rules that will allow nurse delegation/assignment of health maintenance tasks;
- Increased funding and availability for 1000 new home and community waiver services;
For An Institution Free Tennessee
The ADAPT of Tennessee Community
For more info:
Randy Alexander randy@mcil.org
cell# 901/359-4982
Deborah Cunningham deborah@mcil.org
Help us Save Tenncare
Friends,
Many now find themselves on the verge of panic because on Aug. 1 the first of the Tenncare cuts will take effect. In all some 323,000 people will lose their health coverage, this will result in the death of many and the long term suffering of many more. But we still have a chance to save those lives. There is a large statewide grassroots movement forming to reverse these cuts. We will put pressure on those in charge to reverse these needless cuts before any more die.
As a first step please get your organization to sign and return this attached resolution asking for our elected representatives to Save
TennCare.
There will also be a town hall meeting on August 5th in the Public School Board Auditorium. We need to turn people out and turn the heat up on the Governor. They are already making small concessions, but we must make it clear that no solutions that costs lives will be acceptable. We will be sending out fliers and press releases soon so please inform your constituencies.
One final thing that you can do is to support the sit-in of the Governors office in Nashville. Protestors have been getting in the way of the Governors cuts for 29 days. As far as our research can tell this is the longest sit-in of a government office in recent history.
Keep up to date at mcil.org or call the save TennCare hotline for up to date info.
In Peace,
Jacob Flowers
Director,
Mid-South Peace and Justice Center
1000 S. Cooper
Memphis, TN 38104
901.725.4990
fax 901.725.7858
jacob@midsouthpeace.org
midsouthpeace.org
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