Neil McBride gives reasons why Medicaid expansion should be adopted by the state of Tennessee in a virtual forum.

By refusing to expand Medicaid, as encouraged under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) program, “the state of Tennessee has essentially rejected over $10 billion in federal health care benefits for the most disadvantaged people of this state,” said Neil McBride, former Legal Aid in Oak Ridge director.

“That’s over $1 billion a year” of taxpayer money, he said.

McBride spoke at a recent online forum advocating expansion of Medicaid in Tennessee, one of 12 states that has rejected the federal funds. 

McBride, former member of the Tennessee Valley Authority board and Tennessee Justice Center board of directors member, was one of four panelists who elaborated last week on the physical and mental suffering of, and financial costs to, more than 300,000 low-income, uninsured Tennesseans, including people of color, as well as up to 14 rural communities with closed hospitals as a result of the state’s rejection of Medicaid expansion funding.

Judy Roitman gives reasons why Medicaid expansion should be adopted by the state of Tennessee in a virtual forum.

In addition, “Tennessee has so far failed to accept $900 million in federal funds that would cover the cost of expansion for over six years,” said Judy Roitman, Tennessee Health Care Campaign executive director and moderator of the online panel discussion.

Hospitals, TennCare

]The online forum speakers indicated that Tennessee holds the record for having the highest rate and number of hospital closures in the nation. As a result of unpaid medical bills, it has one of the nation’s highest number of personal bankruptcies.