A woman from Lewis County in Tennessee was diagnosed with cancer and subsequently lost her TennCare coverage. She is currently struggling to find a way to pay for her chemotherapy treatment.
Sandra Goff is not only enduring physical and emotional pain but also struggling financially. After being diagnosed with Lymphoma and lung cancer, she was removed from TennCare just a few months later, adding to her already difficult situation.
Goff firmly declined, saying “No, no, no. April 1 won’t work for me because I have to undergo surgery.”
According to Goff, the reason for losing TennCare coverage is due to her receiving an increase in social security benefits at the start of the year. This increase pushed her above the eligibility threshold, making her ineligible for TennCare.
Goff stated that he earns $82 more than the required amount.
According to KFF, individuals like Goff who do not have dependent children have limited options when it comes to coverage plans after disqualifying for TennCare. Nonetheless, there are still some alternative plans available for them.
According to Jennifer Tolbert from KFF, Tennessee’s failure to adopt the Medicaid expansion has resulted in a coverage gap for adults who do not have dependent children. This means that there is no coverage available for them.
What exactly is it that people like Goff engage in?
Goff said that when she reached out to TennCare regarding the issue, she was informed that her only option was to request that they bill her, and once the bills reached a certain amount, she could reapply.
Her daughter is concerned about the weight of the burden.
Amy Jett, daughter of Goff, expressed her distress on the situation, saying that she would not only have to face the loss of her mother but also the overwhelming amount of debt that she would inherit.
According to Goff, she will be undergoing chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments for at least the next year, while also keeping hope for a miracle.
WSMV4 is currently investigating the number of individuals who lost their insurance this year as a result of the benefits increase. However, it is important to note that those who have been diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer were able to maintain their coverage.
According to a representative from TennCare, the Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act of 2000 was passed by Congress, which permits states to provide people with access to treatment via the Medicaid program. In Tennessee, qualified people are given Medicaid benefits under the Breast or Cervical Cancer (BCC) Category of Eligibility (COE). However, eligibility categories for other types of cancer have not been established by Congress.