It is my firm belief that no sound, rational, fiscal, or moral excuse exists to say no to medicaid expansion.
Across Tennessee, we have heard sound reasoning and a renewed effort to convince the Tennessee General Assembly and Gov. Bill Lee to move forward to join 37 other states to take advantage of Medicaid expansion.
Gov. Lee should revive former Governor Haslam’s Insure Tennessee plan and make it his own. Such a bold but pragmatic decision will give immediate support and relief to the deadly effects of COVID-19, put working Tennesseans and those unemployed because of the virus on a track to better health, and save lives.
Expanding Medicaid will not only save COVID-19 lives, but will also provide better outcomes for caregivers, cancer patients, and those with chronic illnesses, problems that have not taken a break during this pandemic.
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A perfect storm of politics, misunderstanding, and misinformation has doomed expansion from its start, but those days are over. Polls show that expansion is popular with Tennesseans, and the current situation demands it. Reasons that once had political validity have vanished, and the program has been shown to be highly effective in states that have expanded.
On the final day of this year’s legislative session when freshman legislator Rep. Chris Todd (R-Jackson) moved to table an amendment by Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D-Nashville) to allow expansion, his motion received 65 votes, but I submit none based on his faulty reasoning.
Rep. Todd said:
“This body will not stand for Medicaid expansion. We believe in fiscally responsible solutions to this crisis and other problems that we face in this state. Expanding government assistance that could bankrupt Tennessee when we are in unprecedented circumstances.”
With a 9-1 match of federal funds to state funds versus a 1-1 match with the current proposed plan, Medicaid expansion is the epitome of fiscal responsibility, and we are undoubtedly living through unprecedented circumstances.
Other than Rep. Todd’s motion to table, the opposition to expansion has been resigned silence, and for good reason: there is no viable reason for Tennessee to reject these funds.
In fact, any recovery of our state from this virus without Medicaid expansion will be less healthy, prolonged, and much more expensive.
It is my firm belief that no sound, rational, fiscal, or moral excuse exists to say no to medicaid expansion. Gov. Lee should submit his plan to the Federal health authorities to be effective immediately and continue until this COVID-19 pandemic is over or the Legislature votes to end it.
Craig Fitzhugh, Chairman and CEO of the Bank of Ripley. He served 24 years in the Tennessee Legislature, ran in the Democratic Primary for Governor, and is now a candidate for Mayor of Ripley.
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