Patients in Tenncare limbo sue for benefits
Source: The Tennessean
Babies who went without medical coverage, a mother of three with high blood pressure and a woman with kidney failure are among the plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit filed today contending that TennCare illegally denied them Medicaid benefits.
Three nonprofit legal firms — the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Tennessee Justice Center and the National Health Law Program — are representing the plaintiffs. TennCare has also come under fire from the federal director of Medicaid programs, who this month sent a letter putting the agency on notice that it had failed to abide by its legal obligations. The suit comes after TennCare Director Darin Gordon sent a defiant response to that letter, blaming many of the state's problems on the federal website healthcare.gov.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs said Tennessee was the worst state in the nation for fulfilling its Medicaid obligations. They are asking a judge to give the suit class-action status, which would broaden the impact of any legal decisions to other people similarly affected, and to prevent the state from refusing to process Medicaid applications within the legally required 45-day period.
"Tennessee officials are sacrificing the health of the state's most vulnerable citizens just to score political points," said Sam Brooke, staff attorney with the Southern Poverty Law Center. "They're throwing a monkey wrench into their own Medicaid program so they can demonize the federal government. People in dire need of medical care are being sacrificed."
Read more: http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/health/2014/07/23/dysfunction-rules-tenncare-suit-says/13043543/
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From what I've gathered and read, I've piece together a complete failure of the state of Tennessee to assist their citizens in receiving health care.
A lot of the populace has been told to "do it online at the government site"
Yeah..well, the government site is not set up for the purpose of emergency services.
It's rather like calling your Dentist and expecting him/her to give you medical advice and where to receive treatment.
What a pack of complete bull. 