Darin GordonJust days before TennCare leaders head to court over accusations that state failures have created months-long delays in coverage, the agency’s director faced questions from lawmakers about the unfinished computer system that led to those delays.
TennCare Director Darin Gordon told lawmakers Tuesday that nearly a year after the new state’s new Medicaid eligibility system was supposed to be completed, the contractors building the system have not finished even the first of four testing phases.
The unfinished system, called the “Tennessee Eligibility Determination System,” or TEDS, was supposed to begin handling Tennesseans’ Medicaid enrollment last October under the Affordable Care Act.
Because the system is late, state officials have directed people signing up for TennCare to go through the federal HealthCare.gov site, which isn’t set up to handle it. The result has been months-long delays for people – including mothers of newborns and people with chronic illnesses – trying to sign up for coverage.
The state’s situation has drawn federal criticism, and three advocacy groups filed a lawsuit against TennCare last month.