JARRETT GOODMAN
Staff Writer
A presentation hosted by Tennessee Justice Center (TJC) Health Advocacy Program Manager Shana Watkins was recently held at Jasper Middle School regarding recent TennCare and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefit cuts.
The presentation was held on Monday, Oct. 27, prior to the date that all SNAP and TennCare benefits were cut due to the ongoing government shutdown. Watkins explained that TJC is a non-profit law firm that helps advocate for changes in government policies regarding healthcare and food benefits for Tennesseans. The organization operates in a non-partisan manner, meaning the program helps advocate accessible healthcare policies in a neutral manner and has no affiliation with either the Republican or Democratic parties.
According to Watkins, Tennessee’s TennCare system will be significantly affected by the current administration’s OBBBA (One Big Beautiful Bill Act) bill that aims to cut nearly $1 trillion in all Medicaid funding for the next 10 years. The cut in federal funding will affect 17 million Americans insured under Medicaid, including Tennesseans. Because of the current shutdown, those covered with TennCare premiums will now also be charged double for their coverage. The rise in pricing is expected to cause 265,000 Tennesseans to lose coverage, as well as leave an additional 46,000 residents struggling to pay for yearly coverage.
“When I say struggle, I mean they will have to make a choice between groceries and gas to get to work and healthcare premiums. And they’ll probably forgo the healthcare premiums because as urgent as it is, it’s not as urgent as ‘I need to get to work tomorrow and I’ve got to have this gas money,” said Watkins.
Further into the presentation, the current delays in SNAP benefits were also brought up for discussion. Watkins explained the ongoing delays have become a new, unprecedented issue caused by the shutdown. She presented with a slideshow how 713,193 Tennesseans are fed through SNAP, 71,781 of which reside in District 4 of the state. All 713,193 are expected to lose their benefits.
Angela Kelly, a resident and retired Medicare provider, stated that the impact caused by the cutbacks will be tremendous in scale across the area. She felt the community needs to band together and take action to help those struggling finding food to feed themselves and their families, providing support to those in need during a new and ongoing crisis.
“This is a rural area and people have no idea what the impact of this is going to be,” said Kelly.
Several businesses, organizations, and churches within Marion County have recently stepped in to provide food and lunches to those in need, including Life Recovery Center and Victory Baptist Church. Marco Cole and Brittney Garrett of Yum Yum’s in South Pittsburg have also taken action preparing meals for those struggling in the community, ensuring none goes hungry during the current pause in SNAP funding.