TennCare "grossly underfunded" for the 1.4 mil. low-income beneficiaries served, state pharmacy exec says.

Executive Summary

TENNCARE PROGRAM IS "GROSSLY UNDERFUNDED" for the 1.4 mil. low-income beneficiaries it covers, Tennessee Pharmacists Association Assistant Executive Director Roger Davis contended at the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists legislative affairs conference in Washington, D.C. March 13. By the time the state pays the 12 managed care organizations and subtracts 5% to 6% in administration costs, "we are left with $100 per enrollee per month to take care of all medical costs; from the taxi ride to the physician's office, to the office visits, to the hospitalizations, to the ER visits, to long-term care [and] the pharmacy visit," Davis explained.