TENNCARE LAWSUIT DELAYED TO ALLOW GOVERNOR TIME TO IMPLEMENT BROADER PROGRAM CHANGES

Nashville – Today, Judge Robert Echols agreed to a continuance of the Newberry lawsuit brought against the state on behalf of TennCare participants. The state and the plaintiffs (represented by the Tennessee Justice Center) went together to Judge Echols to request the delay so that Governor Bredesen could have appropriate time to address a full range of policy issues related to TennCare as opposed to handling them piecemeal. 

As a result of this agreement, some benefit changes negotiated under the previous administration will not go into effect as originally planned on April 1. Instead, the Governor will address these and other benefit issues as part of a collective package expected to go into effect later this year.

“Today’s order is a positive step toward resolving the many issues that plague TennCare. I hope it will demonstrate a good-faith effort by my administration to include TennCare members, advocates and providers in the effort to find common-sense solutions,” Bredesen said. “There is no question that fixing TennCare requires major surgery, not a Band-Aid approach. But by the same token, we must get everyone around the table if real remedies are going to be found.”

The Newberry case was originally slated to go to trial beginning March 31 in U.S. District Court. While it is one of several pending TennCare cases, the close proximity of the trial date would not have allowed the Governor’s new policy changes to be completed and implemented in time.