PARIS, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Tennessee lawmaker is stepping up to help keep a labor and delivery unit from closing at a rural hospital.
NewsChannel 5 Investigates reported Henry County Medical Center said it's being forced to close its labor and delivery ward because of low TennCare reimbursement rates.
If that happens, expectant moms will have to drive an hour or more for medical care. Doctors say that endangers not only the life of the woman but also her baby.
"I felt compelled to step up and do something," said Rep. John Ray Clemmons, who is the House Democratic Caucus chair. "At the very least, make some phone calls and push some people to take action."
The state representative from Nashville has been on the phone ever since, talking with the key players. He is trying to get them to help the community as they struggle to save their OB-GYN department and ultimately the hospital itself.
"I want the people of Henry County to know that there are people across the state of Tennessee who are willing to step up and fight for them," Clemmons said.
The Nashville Democrat said his biggest concern is that women and babies will have to travel for care. The challenge though for Henry County and many other rural hospitals is that so many of the patients are on TennCare, and the TennCare reimbursement rates are often far less than what the services actually cost.
BlueCare which is BlueCross Blue Shield's TennCare program pays Henry County Medical Center $1,700 for a normal delivery and $335 for a healthy full-term baby. Those rates haven't changed since 2019 and are actually lower than they were in 2009.
"You have a situation where they're paying the lowest possible rate that they can to a rural hospital and it’s creating havoc," Clemmons said. "So how do we fix this? Well, the first thing you know we should do is expand Medicaid."
Clemmons — who sits on the House Health Committee — said expanding Medicaid would give Tennessee billions of dollars in essentially free money the state could use to prop up its faltering healthcare system for the poor. He said it's frustrating Gov. Bill Lee and the Republican supermajority in the legislature won't do it. The legislature has repeatedly refused to expand Medicaid since Gov. Bill Haslam's tenure.
"We need to get a better grip on regulating the insurance companies in the state of Tennessee," Clemmons said. "We have a legal duty to do so. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are charged with regulating their own insurance industry. The state of Tennessee does a poor job of that. The insurance industry controls state government and the people who are in state government."
Clemmons said he's further exasperated at his conversations with TennCare and BlueCross about what can be done to help Henry County. Both he says have been slow to step up and address the hospital's urgent need for help.
Despite that, Clemmons said giving up isn't an option.
"I think, with enough encouragement from me, and others, and I would love to have the governor‘s help on this, I would love to have Blue Cross Blue Shield move in this direction and renegotiate in good faith," Clemmons said. "And see if we can’t save these vital services in this OB department in Henry County."
Henry County Medical Center asked BlueCare in early June to significantly raise its reimbursement rates for maternity care. More than a month later, BlueCare says it's still considering that request.
There does seem to be bipartisan support for saving the hospital. Rep. Tandy Darby, R-Greenfield, represents the area and also had meetings with TennCare.
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