Bidencare? Tennessee's poorest adults could (finally) get health insurance

Good morning, friends. I'm Tennessean storytelling columnist Brad Schmitt.

In 1994, then Democratic Gov. Ned McWherter started TennCare to replace the state's implementation of the federal Medicaid program. Two reasons: get control of rising Medicaid costs and give more of the public access to affordable health care.

TennCare now provides coverage to about one-fifth of Tennesseans, many poor or disabled. But there's a gap. Because GOP lawmakers have blocked TennCARE/Medicaid expansion, poor adults without children or disabilities have no public insurance access.

Our outstanding health care reporter, Brett Kelman, explains that if President Joe Biden's "Build Back Better" plan wins approval — and that's a pretty big if — state Republican lawmakers won't be able to block a federal workaround that could achieve the same result as TennCare expansion.

Under Biden's plan, some 120,000 Tennesseans — individuals making less than $12,880 a year or couples making less than $17,420 a year — would be able to get health insurance.

Read Brett's story here.

Below, check out more stories to start your hump day, including the tasty tale of Edley's Bar-B-Que. (Odd but true, the restaurant chain got its start — kinda — from a long line outside an ice cream story.)

Happy reading!

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee's poorest adults could (finally) get insurance