Federal waiver gives Tenn. hospitals $80M
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Tennessee’s U.S. senators say they will continue to seek a permanent fix for the state’s financially struggling hospitals after they were granted a federal waiver that gives them $80 million.
Republican Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker announced this week that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a waiver that would allow a handful of hospitals in the state to receive payments for the services they provide to the poor and uninsured.
The grant replaces federal dollars the state did not receive from another federal program after the formation of TennCare in 1994. TennCare is the state’s expanded Medicaid program that covers 1.2 million Tennesseans.
Both senators say they’re committed to finding a permanent solution for the hospitals as soon as possible.
