“Yesterday, the Senate Republican leadership released a modified version of the Better Care Reconciliation Act, and while the plan shows some improvement, it still does not have the best interests of Tennesseans at heart nor the hospitals that serve them.
“Based on our initial understanding of the revised proposal, THA remains opposed to the BCRA. We maintain this position due to the dramatic long-term cuts and structural changes to federal Medicaid funding and the potential for new disruptions to the individual insurance market because of relaxed benefit requirements for insurers. The bill allows insurers to offer plans with limited benefits, which would undoubtedly throw the insurance marketplace into even greater turmoil and increase premiums for older, sicker Tennesseans.
“This is all in addition to elimination of the Prevention and Public Health Fund and maintenance of steep cuts to Medicare reimbursement for providers contained in the Affordable Care Act. We appreciate the efforts in the Senate to soften the blow of the BCRA, but these latest changes still fail to fully address the real challenges facing the individual insurance market. It also continues to take on the daunting and unrelated issue of Medicaid reform, which would be better dealt with in a separate legislative process.
“Now is the time to focus on meaningful reform of the ACA and stabilization of the insurance market, and we continue our commitment to working with Tennessee’s senators on such a solution.”
For more information, contact Yolanda James at THA, 615-401-7422.
