Tennessee wants to turn their current Medicaid program into an unprecedented, “limited, block grant–type model;” something that conservatives have dreamed about doing since the program’s inception.
Tennessee will have to submit their proposal to the centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and if approved, they will become the first state in the nation to do so.
Read proposal here:
According to The Hill, the Trump administration has held talks with several states trying to sell them on the ‘merits’ of imposing block grants without congressional approval.
Other states have tried to convert to block grant like programs in the past, but none have ever received approval. However, the Trump administration would like to reshape “Medicaid from an open-ended entitlement program to one with spending limits.”
If Tennessee receives approval, look for more red states to follow since Republicans claim that “block grants allow for more state flexibility and are more fiscally sustainable.”
