TennCare Network Inadequate

Concerns expressed by the Tennessee Health Care Campaign that network access for TennCare enrollees is inadequate are consistent with information obtained by The Oracle. One participating primary care provider with whom I spoke informs me that she received last week a slate of new patients that includes several hundred more names than she could possibly take on in her practice.

The problem she faces is two-fold: TennCare patients tend to be high maintenance and time consuming for the health care provider. Second, reimbursement under these insurers' provider contracts is so low that a practice seeing too many TennCare patients can not make enough money to stay open.