Tennessee is asking the Federal Government to allow it to have monthly work requirements put in place for folks to receive healthcare thru TennCare.
Please use the survey put together by the Tennessee Justice Center as an easy means to submit comments. By taking this short survey and adding your comments after you answer each survey question, your comments will be sent anonymously.
Survey on work reporting
requirements.
February 7th is the last day to submit comments on this proposal. To learn more about this and to submit comments take this survey on work reporting requirements.
The responses to this survey would generate at least 5 separate comments (depending on how you answer) for the federal comment period. The Tennessee Justice Center submit those comments on your behalf anonymously. All you have to do is the survey.
Please pass this on to your friends, even people outside of Tennessee can do it.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/tenncaresurvey
A robust federal comment period helped Kentucky defeat work reporting requirements in their state.
A federal district court decided to vacate a plan from the Kentucky government to implement work requirements for able-bodied adults in the state Medicaid program. That decision calls into doubt an initiative strongly favored by the Trump administration and several Republican governors across the country. It also challenges a larger administration plan to refashion all federal welfare and means-tested poverty programs, and should kick off a flurry of court activity on the issue.
Kentucky created the work requirement in its Medicaid program back in January, after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued official guidance encouraging “state efforts to test incentives that make participation in work or other community engagement a requirement for continued Medicaid eligibility.” Formerly, federal administrations had never approved state restrictions in Medicaid like work requirements or drug-testing that constrained base eligibility for the program. After expanding Medicaid to all low-income adults in participating states, President Obama’s CMS was particularly stringent about this, approving state waivers that restructured elements of Medicaid programs and even reduced benefits, but never approving a waiver from a state involving work requirements.
MCIL is aware of one program to help eligible households get low-cost web service.
By Michael Heinrich
AT&T is offering low-cost wireline home Internet service to qualifying households:
- With at least one resident who participates in the U.S. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and
- With an address in AT&T’s 21-state service area, at which we offer wireline home Internet service, and
- Without outstanding debt for AT&T fixed Internet service within the last six months or outstanding debt incurred under this program.
Find out more at https://www.att.com/shop/internet/access/#/
If you qualify, you will pay either $5 or $10 per month (depending on the speed available at your residence). The offer includes:
- No commitment,
- No deposit,
- No installation fee,
- In-home Wi-Fi gateway and access to the entire national AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spot network,
- No equipment rental.
If the residence already has AT&T internet, you can still get the lower rate by switching to this program.
It appears that this offer is real. One friend of MCIL who met the qualifications and already had AT&T internet service made the switch and not only got cost savings but also a faster internet connection at the same time. Another friend of MCIL who did not have internet service at all signed up for the program. She verified that there was no charge for the installation and equipment and now has internet service in her home.
What You Need to Know About TennCare Redetermination Process
By Tim Redd and Allison Donald
The TennCare Redetermination Process is tedious to say the least. The packet comes in two formats. The standard packet is 98 pages long and if you assert a disability you will fill out a total of 119 pages.
Several challenges have been revealed in the wake of this process like the extensive questioning. Also the packets are not being mailed to the right address and each packet includes an individualized bar-code, so every page is related to an individual recipient. Explaining and communicating with diverse populations and some people are prevented from reapplying. Failure to complete the process in a timely fashion will leave many TennCare recipients with no health insurance.
The most important thing you need to do is call the Tennessee Health Connection 1-855-259-0701 to verify your address and inquire if you are scheduled to receive a redetermination packet. You have 90 days to submit your completed form. If you receive any mail that requires you to send in more information you have 10 days to respond.
The catch is, you really only have only 50 days to return the redetermination packet, which is based on the day the packet is mailed out. Please keep a copy of the information you receive. You may produce a paper trail so nothing is lost by sending a fax to the Tennessee Health Connection is 1-855-315-0669.
“The most vital part of this entire equation,” said Michael Heinrich a volunteer with the Tennessee Health Care Campaign, “is to make sure your correct address is on file with the state of Tennessee, and ask if you are supposed to receive a redetermination packet.”
You should be able to get help with your packet from the Department of Health and Human Services and Tennessee Health Connection. Enrollees do not have a case worker that will fill out the redetermination packet, you must call the Department of Health and Human Services (901) 320-7200 to get assistance.
