As our researchers at Beacon have been anticipating, TennCare enrollment has skyrocketed due to Obamacare’s mandate to purchase insurance. We’ve been sounding the alarm about the “woodwork effect” of those who qualify for TennCare but had previously failed to enroll in the government-run insurance program. Now that Tennesseans will be fined for going without insurance, those who qualify for free TennCare are certainly starting to take advantage of it. Thus far in 2014, enrollment has grown by 120,000 people, and this is happening even without a Medicaid expansion in our state. If we were to expand Medicaid as President Obama has pushed our state to do, this means even more people – at even greater costs – crowding onto the TennCare rolls. This is bad for those already on the program, it’s bad for those who would be enrolled, and it’s bad for taxpayers who can ill afford to cover the tab. It’s enough to grabble with the costly and unavoidable woodwork effect; it’s another to voluntarily submit to more pain. To learn more about the consequences of expanding the program, check out this new infographic we released along with State Budget Solutions and Federalism in Action.
KEEP IN TOUCH WITH US
LATEST POSTS
The Boom of Vocational Programs Across the Country—and in Tennessee
Tennessee policymakers should keep note of the trends at vocational schools and see the value of these programs, not simply for earnings and...
Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Property Rights
According to a Beacon poll released this week, the rising cost of housing is among the most significant barriers that Tennesseans face on th...
Beacon Poll: April Results
Today, we released our fourth quarterly Beacon Poll, a statewide survey of 1,197 registered Tennessee voters comprised of questions about po...
The Haynes Family and the Benefits of Parental Choice in Education
Parents across Tennessee are able to exercise school choice, but only if they have the financial means to do so. That could all change with...
School Choice in Tennessee: An Administrator’s Point of View
All of us enjoy the freedom to choose when we marry a spouse, buy a car, or simply purchase a cup of coffee. Why shouldn’t parents have the...
Twenty States Have Some Form of Universal License Recognition. Why Not Tennessee?
As a state experiencing significant in-migration, it's crucial to welcome new additions to our workforce without imposing unnecessary barrie...
Tennessee: The Asterisk State—An Excerpt from “Modern Davids”
On the final day of the 2016 legislative session, lawmakers voted to repeal the Hall Tax. Jon and Linda remain engaged in Beacon’s work to t...
From Colour to Color and from Blockchain to Staking: How Definitions Pave the Way
Just as Noah Webster paved the way for a new language, Tennessee lawmakers today have the opportunity to make our state a hub for new jobs,...
KEEP IN TOUCH WITH US
WANT TO DO A STORY ABOUT SOMETHING YOU SEE HERE?
CONTACT US AT:
mark@beacontn.org
(O) 615-383-6431
WHO ARE WE?
The Beacon Center of Tennessee empowers Tennesseans to reclaim and protect their freedoms, so that they can freely pursue their version of the American Dream.