NASHVILLE – Gov. Bill Lee says he’s interested in exploring whether turning federal funding for TennCare into a “block grant” will serve Tennesseans better, but not if it “won’t be a good deal.”
The Republican governor told reporters Wednesday that his “greatest concern” is addressing soaring costs of health care generally. “That’s what I want to work on. So I’ll be working with the federal government to look at opportunities so there’s more access to quality health care for everyone.”
Asked about President Donald Trump’s budget proposal to cut $1.5 trillion over the next decade in the federal Medicaid program, operated here as TennCare, Lee said “if a block grant were such that we can tap it and provide more access, more coverage, more opportunities for folks to have access to coverage, then we’ll do it.
“If not, then it won’t be a good deal for Tennesseans,” Lee said. “I’ll be pursuing multiple opportunities, but only if they’re good for us.”
Lee’s fellow Republicans in the Tennessee Legislature, however, are already pushing legislation to require Tennessee to seek Washington’s permission to waive federal Medicaid rules and convert the $7.54 billion federal share of the state’s total $12.09 billion TennCare program into a block grant.