Bill > SB1351

This bill directs the commissioner of finance and administration to request a waiver from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which is the government agency overseeing Medicare and Medicaid, to change how Tennessee receives federal funding for healthcare. Specifically, the state wants to receive this funding as a "block grant," which means a fixed amount of federal money given to the state to manage its own healthcare programs. This block grant would cover medical assistance for individuals already eligible under the TennCare II waiver program and expand coverage to include people whose incomes are below 138 percent of the federal poverty line, a measure used to determine poverty levels. The goal is to allow Tennessee to tailor its medical assistance programs to its specific needs while receiving federal funds in a new block grant format, which would be adjusted for inflation and population growth.