TennCare: Cancer Patients Challenge Bredesen in Washington

It's not easy being Governor. That was the message Bredesen took to Washington when he spoke at the National Press Club Friday, according to an NPR broadcast on the same day. (Save NPR Petition)

Bredesen was challenged during the question period by two TennCare enrollees who are also cancer patients. One of them was Lori Griffin of Morristown, TN. She's sure she will be one of the many who will lose TennCare. She says her family makes $10.00 too much to qualify for TennCare under Bredesen's new rules.

She's had one dose of chemotherapy, but can have no more unless and until it is determined that she will indeed remain on the state's expanded Medicaid program. Lori Griffin says without TennCare, her only option is to die.

According to the NPR reporter, Bredesen tried to make the best of the situation by quipping: There was a concern that the room would not be full, so we brought a number of people from Tennessee (paraphrased).

The story, featured on All Things Considered, informed its national audience that while Bredesen was in Washington speechifying, his office was occupied by a room full of disabled and sick protesters.

No surprise that my favorite daily newspaper in the whole state also has the story:

{snippets}

WASHINGTON - Gov. Phil Bredesen made a pitch for health-care reform for states but ended up spending a lot of time defending his TennCare health program cuts to three vocal opponents.

During a question-and-answer period, two Tennesseans who are not reporters rose and asked Bredesen questions about how they can survive after losing TennCare coverage.

One was Lori Griffin of Morristown, who said she has cancer and takes up to 25 prescriptions. She does not work because she is caring for her seriously ill husband, who receives disability pay.

"If I don't get my prescriptions I will die," she said. She said she believes she will be removed from TennCare rolls under Bredesen's criteria because her husband's disability pay is slightly over the income-qualifying limit.

She and some other Tennesseans attended the news conference with the aid of the Tennessee Health Care Campaign, based in Nashville.

Tony Garr, executive director of the group, said Bredesen's plan to cut TennCare does not leave a safety net for many needy Tennesseans. "Their lives are going to be at risk," he said later.

See also: Governor Bredesen's National Press Club Speech: Healthcare Deform