NASHVILLE, Tenn. – After more than a year of discussions and negotiations with the federal government, Tennessee’s Medicaid “Block Grant” waiver amendment received approval today by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Tennessee is the first state in the nation to be granted approval for this type of block grant arrangement, which will result in an innovative, alternative financing arrangement for its Medicaid program and provide additional flexibilities relative to its administration.

Nashville – After more than a year of discussions and negotiations with the federal government, Tennessee’s Medicaid “Block Grant” waiver amendment received approval today by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Tennessee is the first state in the nation to be granted approval for this type of block grant arrangement, which will result in an innovative, alternative financing arrangement for its Medicaid program and provide additional flexibilities relative to its administration.

TennCare, Gainwell Technologies LLC and Axis Direct, Inc. announced today that they have notified approximately 3,300 Medicaid members in the State of Tennessee of a privacy issue that may have impacted their protected health information.

NASHVILLE—The Division of TennCare and the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD) announced the state’s new Katie Beckett Program has received federal approval and expects to begin taking self-referral forms on November 23, 2020.

Nashville – The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released today new guidance, the Healthy Adult Opportunity initiative, which includes provisions that will support states seeking greater flexibility to improve the health of Medicaid populations. Below is a statement from TennCare in response to the new guidance.

A Lincoln County woman is charged with TennCare drug fraud in connection with allegedly selling drugs obtained through TennCare healthcare insurance benefits.

Nashville – Tennessee’s Division of TennCare director Gabe Roberts announces today he is leaving Tennessee state government to return to the private sector. His anticipated last day will be Monday, March 2, 2020. Governor Lee has not yet named a successor to the position.

Nashville – The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today that Tennessee is one of 10 states to receive the Maternal Opioid Misuse (MOM) Model grant. The purpose of this Model is to assist states in combating the nation’s opioid crisis and address fragmentation in the care of pregnant and postpartum Medicaid beneficiaries with opioid use disorder (OUD).

Nashville – TennCare, Tennessee’s Medicaid agency, is seeing positive results from several ambitious changes it has made to how health care is paid for and delivered in Tennessee. The reports released today from TennCare on its Delivery System Transformation programs provide the most complete picture to date of how the state’s innovative programs are resulting in improvements in the care that is being received by TennCare members as well as significant savings for Tennessee taxpayers. The three programs are Tennessee Health Link, Patient-Centered Medical Homes, and Episodes of Care.

Affordability continues to be a major hindrance to obtaining health insurance as the percentage of all Tennesseans, adults and children, without coverage increased from 6.7 percent in 2018 to 6.9 percent this year, according to a new report by the Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. This increase is consistent with nationwide trends.

Tennessee is a finalist in four categories for national awards that will be announced during a ceremony in October in Nashville. The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) selected 30 finalists across 10 categories for the State IT Recognition Awards.

Tennessee’s overall uninsured rate is now at 6.7 percent, an increase from 6.1 percent in 2017 but still well below levels before the Affordable Care Act went into effect in 2014, according to a new report released by the Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research in the University of Tennessee Knoxville’s Haslam College of Business.

NASHVILLE – Governor Bill Haslam and First Lady Crissy Haslam today honored 23 state employees who are helping Tennessee lead by providing outstanding state services every day. The employees, who were nominated by their departments’ leadership for the Governor’s Excellence in Service Awards, were invited to attend a luncheon at the Tennessee Residence for providing efficient and effective service to the state and their fellow Tennesseans. “The employees honored today are on the forefront of improving how Tennessee state government delivers services,” Haslam said. “By exceeding leadership and customer expectations, creating innovative solutions or improving processes and services, these state employees are helping provide taxpayers with the highest quality service at the lowest possible cost.”

NASHVILLE – Governor Bill Haslam and First Lady Crissy Haslam today recognized 22 state employees for providing outstanding service to the state and their fellow Tennesseans at a luncheon at the Tennessee Residence. The Governor’s Excellence in Service Awards was launched in 2016 to honor outstanding state employees who are helping Tennessee lead by providing efficient and effective state services every day.

A University of Tennessee, Knoxville report released today shows that Tennessee’s overall uninsured rate increased from the 2016 level of 5.5 percent to 6 percent in 2017. Nonetheless, the reported uninsured rate is still at one of the lowest levels in the past two decades. The report entitled The Impact of TennCare: A Survey of Recipients, 2017, released by UT’s Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research, summarizes findings from a survey conducted between May and July 2017.