Daniels Re-Verification: Myth vs. Fact
Myth: 150,000 people are going to be left without health insurance.
Fact: No, 150,000 people will NOT be left without health insurance. Out of the approximately 147,000 in the Daniels class, more than 106,000 qualify for comprehensive, government-sponsored health insurance either through Medicaid or Medicare. The remaining 41,000 will go through the same re-verification process used everyday for the other 1.1 million TennCare enrollees. If these individuals continue to qualify for TennCare benefits, they will remain on the program.
Myth: This is a change in TennCare eligibility.
Fact: The re-verification of the Daniels class is NOT a change in eligibility standards. The same eligibility groups remain open today as they did before the injunction was lifted. The ruling that lifted the injunction allows the state to check and see if those in the Daniels class qualify for the program by using the same federally approved process used to determine eligibility for its other 1.1 million enrollees. Click here to see all open Medicaid categories in Tennessee.
Myth: The re-verification process is untested and will allow people to slip through the cracks.
Fact: The process used to re-verify the Daniels population is the same federally approved process the Bureau uses everyday to determine the eligibility of the 1.1 million enrollees.
Myth: The paperwork will be too difficult for people to fill out.
Fact: The paperwork sent to those in the Daniels class is the same paperwork all enrollees must fill out when they go through the re-verification process each year. If someone is unable to fill out the paperwork, there are several ways to get help from the state. Click here to find out more about available assistance.
Myth: TennCare is receiving $1.1 billion in Recovery Act funds, which could be used to keep all of those in the Daniels class on TennCare.
Fact: The Recovery Act money Tennessee will draw in through Medicaid is not meant to be used solely for the Medicaid program. As Governor Bredesen explained in his State of the State address, these funds should be considered “Tennessee Funds”. This means that Medicaid is a way for the state to bring in more federal dollars to financially assist the state as a whole. Also, expanding TennCare’s open Medicaid categories using these one-time funds would prove to be unsustainable especially in these tough economic times. Click here to find out more about how the Recovery Act affects TennCare.
Myth: The state should use TennCare Reserve funds to pay to keep all members of the Daniels class on TennCare.
Fact: This would again prove to be unsustainable. It is not fiscally sound to use reserve funds, which is one-time funding, to pay for recurring expenses. This would eventually deplete the reserves, and then there would be no funding source left to pay for the expansion.
