Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee urges flexible approach with Medicaid block grant
"We're putting together that (block grant) application now," Lee said during a visit to
Lee declined to specify any changes the state might propose in its Medicaid waiver request or the recommendations expected from the
Lee has criticized the inefficiencies in health care and the Affordable Care Act. Earlier this year, the
The application is due in November "and then there will be several months before the federal government determines what it will do with that request," Lee said.
"We will pursue a deal that is good for Tennesseans and that improves the quality of life for Tennesseans," Lee said.
But
"Flexibility is a great buzz work, but my question is do we have leaders who are setting aside the politics of health care to deal with the real issues about who is going to provide coverage to so many Tennesseans who need Medicaid coverage," Johnson said. "What is it that the state wants to be more flexible about? Do they want the flexibility to be able to drop children from the program or to cut back on those covered by Medicaid in nursing homes?"
Lee said "every Tennessean deserves to have access to quality health care that they can afford," but he said he thinks the state can develop better ways of delivering health care with a block grant.
"I'll just say that whenever we get money from the federal government it comes with strings attached," Lee said. "The less strings that we can have attached, the more we can craft a health care system that is designed for Tennesseans and that will provide unique services for our unique population in
Johnson said
Lee has previously questioned putting more government money in "a broken system" and said he is looking for better ways to improve health care and affordable coverage.
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