TennCare Providers Agree To Fund Independent Study of Program’s Viability
Health insurer BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee and hospital system HCA, the two largest participating organizations in TennCare, Tennessee's Medicaid managed care program, each will pay more than $1 million to fund an independent study of the program's viability, the Tennessean reports. The rest of the costs of the $2.6 million study, to be conducted by McKinsey & Co., will come from 24 other participating insurers, providers and hospitals, according to the Tennessean. The insurance companies agreed to contribute money to the study after a request from Gov. Phil Bredesen (D). Bredesen said the study will examine TennCare funding levels and potential ways to reform the program "other than just moving it back to the [traditional] Medicaid program." The study is slated to be complete by the end of this year, and Bredesen is expected to present the study results to state lawmakers in January, according to spokesperson Lydia Lenker (Lewis, Tennessean, 8/22).
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