Neva HoltNeva Holt stood in a kitchen for years whipping up coconut cake and patting out hamburger steaks – food she sold from her Lyles, Tenn., cafe that generated sales tax revenue for the state – but when she got old and needed nursing home care, Tennessee didn’t give anything back.
She got kicked out of a nursing home because TennCare wouldn’t pay. The state’s Medicaid agency determined she didn’t qualify for coverage, contending she had owned land that she transferred to her grandchildren – assets that should have been used to cover the cost of a nursing home.
The family appealed and ultimately had TennCare’s determination overturned this month. It was a hollow victory. Holt died at age 88 – six days before the decision came down.
Read more from our news partner at The Tennessean.