TennCare’s Medicaid Renewal Process was Illegal and Flawed

The Tennessee Justice Center and its legal partners brought a class action in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee alleging that TennCare’s for reevaluating eligibility was defective and failed to provide notice and an opportunity for a hearing. TJC alleged that TennCare’s policies and practices caused thousands of Tennesseans to lose their healthcare coverage. Much of this revolved around TennCare’s use of a computerized Eligibility Determination System.

On August 26, 2024, Judge Waverly Crenshaw filed a Memorandum Opinion ruling in favor of the class and against TennCare, ruling that TennCare’s process was flawed. Judge Crenshaw concluded that TennCare violated the Plaintiff Class’s rights under the Medicaid Act and Due Process Clause and violated the Disability Subclass’s rights under the ADA.

“[W]hen an enrollee is entitled to state-administered Medicaid, it should not require luck, perseverance, and zealous lawyering for him or her to receive that healthcare coverage. Luckily for the Plaintiffs, they had all three. Plaintiff Class members and Disability Subclass members lacked one or all of these apparent prerequisites and have not yet had their coverage reinstated and backdated. No doubt, they, like the Plaintiffs who testified, more likely than not faced both financial hardships and adverse health outcomes on account of TennCare’s unlawful actions. Now, the Court must ensure they receive their deserved relief.”

Other documents related to this case are available on the TJC website.