Faith leaders and health care advocates in East Tennessee are calling on leaders to fight to expand coverage of Medicaid, saying it could have saved a North Knoxville hospital that will soon close.
The group spoke at Physicians Regional Medical Center Friday, calling on state leaders to accept available federal dollars and to expand the program targeting Americans with low incomes in need of healthcare.
One study that was presented in 2017 at the AcademyHealth Research Meeting showed states that passed up expanding health care access have seen more patients going without care and more hospitals closing their doors -- leaving detrimental impacts on local economies.
Physicians Regional is one of two area hospitals expected to close in the next two months. The other is Lakeway Regional in Morristown.
A spokesperson for Tennova Medical, who operates both hospitals, said Friday the closure of Physicians Regional is related to the strategic reorganization of services to North Knoxville Medical Center and Turkey Creek Medical Center to 'deliver efficient healthcare in today’s environment,' and Lakeway Regional was closed due to decreased patient usage.
The spokesperson said Medicaid expansion is an important issue for hospitals across the state, and that it continues to support efforts toward that goal.
The issue has been a central focus in the midterm elections, with polls across the board showing most voters were placing healthcare as one the top two issues that would sway their choices on election day.
WBIR 10News reached out to candidates to learn where they stand on the issue. Republican Gubernatorial candidate Bill Lee's campaign sent the following statement:
"Tennesseans deserve access to health care that they can afford but instead of depending on another failed government program, Bill plans to address the fundamental issue of rising costs in health care."
Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Karl Dean responded with a release the campaign had sent out on Nov. 1, saying Dean is a 'strong advocate for Medicaid expansion' and that Dean would call for a special session of the state general assembly to vote on Medicaid expansion 'immediately' if he becomes governor.
“I’ll be ready to get this done on Day 1. It’s time to vote, and I’m anxious to get going and bring a plan for Medicaid expansion to the legislature. Hundreds of thousands of Tennesseans need affordable healthcare right now. Rural hospitals need help right now. We can’t wait any longer,” the release said.