Tennessee House advances bill seeking to overhaul Medicaid

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee House has advanced a proposal that would overhaul how the state provides health care to its lower-income and disabled residents.

The House voted 68-21 on Thursday with only Democrats voting against the measure.

The measure would require the state’s top leaders to call on the federal government to send a fixed amount of money each year in the form of block grants.

Supporters argue the move will allow Tennessee to better manage its Medicaid program. Critics counter it’ll open up opportunities to cut services.

Currently, the federal government pays an agreed-upon percentage of each state’s Medicaid costs, no matter how much they rise in any given year. For Tennessee, that means the state receives approximately $7.5 billion in federal money for its $12.1 billion Medicaid program.