Why A State Like Tennessee Would Even Want A Medicaid Block Grant
“Tennessee is angling to be the first state to switch its Medicaid program to a ‘block grant,’ a lump sum to provide health care to those with low income. But it’s a tradeoff. The state would get wide latitude to run its Medicaid program as it sees fit, but it would also shoulder new risk. TennCare, as Medicaid is known in the state, covers roughly one-in-five Tennesseans — mostly women and children. But the figure fluctuates — higher during a recession, lower when the economy is good.”