TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Nov 20, 2024

TennCare is seeking a $975 million budget increase for next year, largely driven by rising medical costs. According to the Tennessee Lookout, two main factors are contributing to the increase: an estimated $165 million in price hikes for medical care and $41 million to cover the cost of new classes of drugs for treating obesity, heart disease and diabetes. This year's budget request follows significant cuts in TennCare enrollment, with 300,000 people losing coverage last year. A federal judge ruled in August that those cuts violated Tennesseans' rights following a 2020 class action lawsuit. In presenting the proposed budget to Gov. Bill Lee earlier this month, TennCare officials said the agency is on more solid fiscal ground and providing more services than ever before.