College Student Impacted by TennCare Changes-Erika Lathon

The TennCare program is expected to save millions of dollars by cutting services.

It is now limiting how much it will pay for private duty nurses and in-home healthcare.

For one MTSU student, that could mean the difference between staying at home or getting a college degree.

Cerebral Palsy makes every day a challenge for 23 year old Rachel Kestner.

Kestner says, "The extend of what I can do is I can talk, drive this chair and eat some things by myself, that's it. Everything else requires some level of assistance."

Despite her disability, Rachel lives on campus and is pursuing a degree in journalism.

It's all possible due to 24 hour nursing care provided by TennCare.

But this semester, a change in the TennCare program could keep her out of the dormitory and the classroom.

Kestner says, "It may take me a little longer, I may need more help but I can still do all the stuff everybody else does then I get here and I'm told I'm not worth it I may as well go home."

For the first time, TennCare is placing restrictions on home healthcare and private duty nursing services which Rachel desperately needs.

Kestner says, "Now it ends up being six and a half hours where I had twenty four hours."

Of the 10,800 people receiving private duty nursing or in home care, the TennCare bureau says the new changes will only impact about 1,000 people.

Marilyn Wilson with the TennCare Bureau says, "It's not feasible for taxpayers to be expected to serve very few people at any and all cost at the expense of robbing other
Tennesseans of the opportunity to receive some care at home too."

In 2004 the Bureau spent $54 million on these services.

Last year, the cost grew to $243 million, a figure the Bredesen administration says is unsustainable.

Kestner's mother Kathy says, "I think he's got the idea he's putting a few old people out to pasture. Never considered he's short circuiting handicapped students that are trying to get to the point of self sufficiency."

Despite this new challenge, this spunky sophomore isn't giving up.

She says it is not the first time she's been counted out.

Kestner says, "I fought people assuming I was stupid because of the chair. I didn't expect to have to fight the damn state."

According to the TennCare Bureau, Tennessee was the only state in the country providing unlimited home health and private duty nursing care.

Without cuts, the services were projected to cost more than $300 million in fiscal year 2008.
College Student Impacted by TennCare Changes-Erika Lathon