AARP Thanks Cohen, Gordon for Medicaid Safety Net Bill Sponsorship

“Today’s vote is a victory for all Tennesseans who rely on TennCare as the safety net of our health care system,” said AARP Tennessee State Director Rebecca Kelly.

AARP thanks Cohen, D-9th District, and Gordon, D-6th District, for sponsoring the bill, and is grateful to Rep. John Tanner, D-8th District, and Rep. Lincoln Davis, D-4th District, for voting for it on Wednesday.

While AARP supports smart policies to stop fraud, waste and abuse in Medicaid, the cuts proposed by the administration threaten the integrity of the program and shift unreasonable costs to the people in Medicaid and the states.

TennCare Director Darin Gordon estimated the impact of the proposed cuts to be more than $1.5 billion over five years. TennCare is Tennessee’s managed-care Medicaid program and serves approximately 1.2 million low-income children, pregnant women and disabled Tennesseans, with an annual budget of $7 billion.

``We’re proud that so many of our U.S. representatives recognized the harm the administration’s proposals would have done to people, and we thank them for acting swiftly to stop these cuts,” Kelly said. “We now urge Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker to vote to protect Medicaid, and our TennCare program, as the Senate considers this measure.”

With more than 721,000 members in Tennessee, AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, published bimonthly; AARP Bulletin, our monthly newspaper; AARP Segunda Juventud, our bimonthly magazine in Spanish and English; NRTA Live & Learn, our quarterly newsletter for 50 + educators; and our website, www.aarp.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, tection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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Contact:
Marilyn Dillihay, Press Secretary, (202) 225-3265/ (202) 368-9275 (mobile)
Charlie Gerber, Communications Assistant, (202) 225-3265 / (202) 320-2817 (mobile)