IMPACT IN TENNESSEE683,000 — Number of additional Tennesseans to gain health insurance63,168 — Number of Hamilton County residents who will pick up coverage$3 billion — Additional federal aid coming into Tennessee over 10 years$1.2 billion — Additional Medicaid expense for Tennessee between 2014 and 20191 million — Estimated number of Tennesseans who will shift from employer plans to new exchanges by 2014.Source: BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee study on health care reform’s effects in Tennessee
Health care reform will bring more money and health care coverage to Tennessee, but it will also mean longer lines and wait times for most people to see a doctor.
That’s the conclusion of a study by Tennessee’s biggest health insurer on the sweeping health care package adopted nearly two years ago and scheduled to be implemented over the next three years.
“Since the number of providers will not increase in the short run, there will be a strain on the system’s ability to supply services,” said Dr. Steve Coulter, president of the BlueCross-funded Tennessee Health Institute and author of the study of health care reform in the Volunteer State. “That may mean, generally speaking, worse access to services for those who are currently insured.”
But while lines may be longer at physician offices and hospitals, more people will have access to such services. The BlueCross study estimates that 683,000 more Tennesseans, including 63,168 in Hamilton County, will gain health insurance by 2014 under the so-called “Obamacare” plan.