tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-101999512011-04-21T15:18:26.727-04:00A blog dedicated entirely to the collection of stories and comments about the current TennCare crisis.William Baileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03151475644319673818noreply@blogger.comBlogger141100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10199951.post-1113740160213056252005-04-17T08:16:00.000-04:002005-04-17T08:44:22.320-04:00

BlueCross has reserves of over $1 billion, larger than the reserves of state government," says Tony Garr, executive director of the Tennessee Health Care Campaign. They only have those reserves because of what they have charged the employers, employees and taxpayers of Tennessee. The state needs to get its act together and work with BlueCross to become a better corporate citizen. (From a

William Baileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03151475644319673818noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10199951.post-1113647979286309042005-04-16T06:39:00.000-04:002005-04-16T07:09:10.223-04:00

Plante has it right. And let's see--do I understand this right?We're giving Iraqis universal health care coverage (see Bush Gives Universal Health Care to All Iraqis), yet we're sending our soldiers and support troops to Iraq to accomplish this goal and sacrificing our own sick and dying to massive cuts in Tennessee (see TennCare Cuts Get Green Light).A man without a vision, Bredesen blames "

William Baileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03151475644319673818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10199951.post-1112520387728573132005-04-03T05:26:00.000-04:002005-04-03T06:12:15.186-04:00

Friday, Federal Judge Haynes scolded both sides in the TennCare case before the U.S. District Court. He wanted to know why the two sides (the state versus Tennessee Justice Center) could not come to an agreement. The problem? They don't trust each other.Gordon Bonnyman of the Tennessee Justice CenterSo Haynes clarified one thing for the two sides: All parties [have] agreed that a reworking of

William Baileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03151475644319673818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10199951.post-1112398488119433532005-04-01T18:31:00.000-05:002005-04-01T19:11:56.650-05:00

That's what House Minority Leader Tre' Hargett (R-Bartlett) is saying. See the Nashville City Paper for more coverage.Ultimate Bushite Tre' Hargett, 97th District State RepresentativeToday's Nashville City Paper: "Hargett said Bredesen, the third-year Democratic governor, was 'disingenuous' for appearing in area political advertisements that complimented Democratic legislators for passing

William Baileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03151475644319673818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10199951.post-1112397814976540122005-04-01T18:23:00.000-05:002005-04-01T18:29:04.766-05:00

If you haven't been following the courtroom revelations, you'll want to see The Tennessean online today, specifically an article titled Sickest enrollees would be among first off TennCare. The story carries some fascinating updates on a case before the U.S. District Court in Nashville.It's amazing what being under oath can do to a man. TennCare Director J.D. Hickey was on the stand yesterday and

William Baileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03151475644319673818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10199951.post-1109247715189638502005-02-24T07:21:00.000-05:002005-02-24T07:29:43.680-05:00

by Amber Gilley . . . a chronic illness? Could you make it?”This is a question Amanda Edmundson would like to ask Governor Phil Bredesen. Amanda is a twenty-eight year old, single mother of one, and a student at Chattanooga State Community College. Amanda has Type-One Juvenile Diabetes and is on an insulin pump twenty-four hours a day. A little easier than the four shots a day she had to inject

William Baileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03151475644319673818noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10199951.post-1108143627969842812005-02-11T12:40:00.000-05:002005-02-11T12:57:28.356-05:00

[Thanks to Chattanooga writer and Chattanooga State College student, Angela Kelley, for submitting this diary.]Laura, a 28-year-old married pediatric nurse with two step-children, is the only member of her family without health insurance coverage. Her husband, a real estate consultant for H&H Publishing, has company-provided insurance, but the insurance provider does not offer group insurance

William Baileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03151475644319673818noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10199951.post-1106865901705928252005-01-27T17:45:00.000-05:002005-01-27T17:50:21.416-05:00

In the Trailer Park - "Three TennCare Diaries" from Chattanooga by John Bailes [This story was published in the Chattanooga Pulse] As I pursued the news storm about Gov. Phil Bredesen's TennCare cuts, the numbers were too staggering. 323,000 adults would disappear from TennCare - poof, this year! Another 397,000 adults would be diminished medically by new arbitrary restrictions. The children of

William Baileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03151475644319673818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10199951.post-1106604632344643352005-01-24T17:10:00.000-05:002005-01-24T17:16:13.643-05:00

[I spoke with Michael Drescher on 13 Jan 2005. You will find more contact information for Mr. Drescher at TennCare.] Q: How much authority does the governor have over TennCare? Drescher: There is a TennCare Director or Deputy Commissioner. That would be J.D. Hickey. He reports to the Finance Commission. The governor has authority to manage and restructure TennCare. The funding, however, is a

William Baileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03151475644319673818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10199951.post-1106586081794207332005-01-24T11:58:00.000-05:002005-01-24T12:01:21.793-05:00

[I spoke with Dr. Worthington on 13 Jan 2005. You will find more information on Dr. Worthington at UT College of Medicine.] Q: How is Chattanooga's College of Medicine affiliated with Erlanger Hospital? Worthington: It is affiliated with Erlanger Hospital but is a clinical unit of the UT Memphis College of Medicine campus. Q: How will TennCare cuts affect Chattanooga? Worthington: The cuts

William Baileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03151475644319673818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10199951.post-1106585685131661092005-01-24T11:54:00.000-05:002005-01-24T11:57:02.716-05:00

Do you live in Hamilton County and have an income of less than 150 percent of the poverty level ($13,965 for an individual; $23,505 for a family of three)? If so, Project Access may be able to help you get the health care you need. Call Project Access -Healthcare for the Uninsured (423-826-0269) Project Access is led by the Medical Society of Chattanooga and Hamilton County and the Medical

William Baileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03151475644319673818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10199951.post-1106360981599005682005-01-21T21:29:00.000-05:002005-01-21T21:34:18.446-05:00

Three days after Gov. Bredesen's announcement to cut 323,000 off TennCare, I spoke with Gordon Bonnyman by phone. Bonnyman has become the hated target of the state because he and the Tennessee Justice Center took the state to court, seeking consent decrees in favor of TennCare patients. Yesterday, I asked him for updates. Nothing had changed. If you really want to see a good piece about

William Baileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03151475644319673818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10199951.post-1105970479641219982005-01-17T09:01:00.000-05:002005-01-17T09:14:01.730-05:00

Below is a brief interview with a healthcare professional who worked 20 years in the Georgia system. He now lives in Tennessee. While you or I may not agree with all of his conclusions, his experiences and insights would be helpful to understanding our healthcare crisis in Tennessee.In what healthcare area did you work and for how long? I have worked in the public mental health field in Georgia

William Baileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03151475644319673818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10199951.post-1105925473319363302005-01-16T20:01:00.000-05:002005-01-16T20:31:13.320-05:00

Today, I spoke with five senior citizens who live in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Four are on Medicare, the federal healthcare program for seniors and the disabled, and the other will be in one year. All five told me that TennCare needed to be cut, even if it meant that 323,000 people would almost suddenly be without any kind of coverage and uneligible for any Medicaid. All five seniors made it clear

William Baileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03151475644319673818noreply@blogger.com1