State Sen. Charlotte Burks (D-Monterey) voted against a proposed $200 million cut in TennCare, saying she can’t support reductions that will devastate rural families in her district.
“While I respect the job TennCare officials have done in bringing past spending problems under control, I can’t sit back and vote for this budget as hurting families lose their health care,” Burks said.
Burks voted against the budget in the Senate Commerce, Labor and Agriculture Committee. She was joined by state Sen. Eric Stewart (D-Belvidere) in voting against the budget, which passed the committee 7-2 on March 2.
The proposed budget would cut approximately $200 million from TennCare and impose new restrictions on the 1.2 million Tennesseans covered by the program, including a $10,000 cap for hospital stays and no reimbursements for physical, speech and occupational therapy.
The planned reductions and those made in past years have hurt rural community hospitals that continue to treat patients who have been cut from TennCare, despite the fact the hospitals no longer receive TennCare reimbursements for the treatment.
“If our rural hospitals continue to lose money, there is a chance they could close,” Burks said. “Then what happens to the families who depend on these facilities for their health care? We have to do better for them.”
The Tennessee General Assembly is continuing to discuss the state budget in Nashville this week.
