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Health Policy and Advocacy Copy

At TPCA, our Health Policy and Advocacy initiatives serve to ensure Tennessee’s community health centers have the knowledge and tools they need to thrive in a dynamic policy environment. To meet this goal, our efforts are twofold:

First, TPCA is committed to serving as a voice for community health centers and connecting health centers to state legislators and Members of Congress. In addition to monitoring and taking action on budgetary, legislative, and regulatory issues, we maintain close relationships with a variety of national, regional, state, and community agencies and organizations to promote the high-quality, comprehensive care health centers provide to vulnerable populations across the state.

Second, TPCA engages in ongoing communications with health centers to provide education and hold discussion on issues impacting health centers and their patients. TPCA hosts timely policy update calls, distributes written policy updates to health centers, and offers educational opportunities to deliver information on state and federal policy topics and the progress of relevant legislation and regulations.

Focus Area: Budget 

Federal
  • Health Center funding.
State
  • An increase to Health Care Safety Net funding.
  • Extended postpartum coverage for women on TennCare.
  • Dental coverage for pregnant women on TennCare.
  • Smile 180 denture funding.

Focus Area: TennCare

  • Medicaid expansion and preserve Medicaid benefits and coverage.
  • Ensure LMSWs and LPCs can bill for services.
  • Include additional smoking quit aids to CoverRx formulary. 

Focus Area: Tennessee Department of Health 

  • Ensure health centers receive behavioral health payments through the Health Care Safety Net Fund.
  • Ensure health centers receive dental payments through Health Care Safety Net fund.
  • Ensure adequate per-visit payments. 

Focus Area: Medicare

  • Secure permanent extension of Medicare telehealth policies.
  • Ensure adequate Medicare telehealth payment.

Focus Area: Pharmacy Benefits

  • Pass state legislation to protect health centers from discriminatory contracting. 
  • Advocate against any efforts that will reduce access to medications for health center patients. 

Focus Area: Immunizations

  • Advaocate for strategies to ensure data recording in the state's immunization registry.  


 

For information on policy and advocacy, contact:
Libby Thurman, (615) 425-5848 or
Emily Waitt, (615) 425-5849


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