The Fiasco Called TennCare

Opinion Journal has an editorial detailing the trouble with TennCare, Tennessee's version of state assisted health care, and Governor Bredesen's efforts to reform it. One issue with the editorial though, it claims Tennessee passed TennCare, which sounds like a legislative act. TennCare, as I understand it, was created by an act of the state's Executive branch, the Governor's office, which is why Bredesen can use the threat of pulling the plug as a bludgeon against the Tennessee Justice Center.

Bill Hobbs is a great source for more information on Tenncare and the efforts to reform it. Recently, he remarked on Bredesen's triangulation of the public education lobby, a traditional liberal special interest group, against TennCare and its advocates. The public education lobby is eyeing the money that it could gain should TennCare be reformed or eliminated. This was a shrewd move on the part of Bredesen, which even if it doesn't help to promote reform of TennCare, should help insulate him from any political repercussions related to reverting the state's health care system to Medicaid.

HobbsOnline also has a post on the reaction of The Tennessean to the education lobby's support for TennCare reform. Let me put it succinctly, if The Tennessean is against it, them I'm for it.