Now is the time for Tennessee to recover federal tax dollars for healthcare like other conservative states | Opinion

Ron Travis
Guest columnist

Sometimes a personal experience can help fuel political action. This was certainly the case for me when I lost my sister-in-law Sheila last November.

Uninsured, she avoided seeking medical help for a common infection, something that should have been easily treatable. A few days later she died from sepsis at the age of 48. This was a woman who was otherwise healthy, worked hard, yet could not afford to pay for basic health insurance. Sheila should be alive today.

This tragic story motivated me to do something about those like Sheila — the hundreds of thousands of Tennesseans who work hard and are well meaning but cannot afford health insurance. So earlier this year I filed legislation that would work to bring $1.4 billion in federal tax dollars already being paid by Tennesseans back home to help those in our state who are unable to receive the health insurance they need. I have long supported similar initiatives that have faltered in the legislature, but lives continue to be lost needlessly. We must keep fighting.

Other conservative states have done it

Tennessee would be joining 37 other states that have passed plans that take advantage of federal funding to help the working uninsured get health insurance. Vice President Mike Pence helped pass a similar plan when he was governor of Indiana, as have many other conservative states.

Rep. Ron Travis

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Currently our federal taxes are helping those outside of Tennessee. It is time we enact a plan that brings our federal tax dollars home to help our own.

Many Tennesseans have reached out to me with various reasons for supporting my bill. I received a letter from a 14-year-old boy who told me he would have to drop out of school and get a job to pay for his uninsured father’s medical bills. I heard from an auto mechanic who works hard to support his family but does not earn enough for health insurance.

You probably know some of these people too. They are your neighbor or go to your church. Good people who need a hand up, not a handout.

A significant economic impact

Others support my bill because of the significant economic impact it would mean. Thousands of jobs would be created, and our state’s rural hospitals would receive critically needed financial support. Since 2014, 14 rural hospitals have closed in Tennessee, and another 19 are at a high risk of closing, according to a recent report by Guidehouse. Losing a hospital can be devastating to small communities that not only rely on them for care but are also one of the largest employers in small communities and a critical component of a town’s economic infrastructure.

Compounding all these factors, of course, is the current COVID-19 crisis. The pandemic has caused an unfathomable economic strain on our state. Businesses are on brink of closing. Thousands of citizens are suddenly unemployed. Thousands more are infected with the disease and unable to work. There is no better time than now than to enact a plan to help Tennessee’s citizens and its economy recover.

This is already a time for strong leadership

Fortunately, our governor and legislature have shown strong leadership in addressing COVID-19. According to the Harvard Global Health Institute, Tennessee is a national leader in testing, allowing the state to better understand the spread of the disease and make informed decisions about reopening our economy. Having the flexibility to adjust course as situations progress and new knowledge is gained is a sign of great leadership.

Currently there is an inspirational movement underway led by concerned citizens statewide called the Coalition for a Strong Tennessee asking citizens to send notes of encouragement to Gov. Bill Lee and express their reason for supporting a new health care recovery plan. There are a million reasons, and one solution. Now, as the legislature is reconvening, I hope my fellow state lawmakers and Gov. Lee will consider citizens’ outpouring of support from Memphis to Mountain City to bring $1.4 billion of our federal tax dollars back home as part of Tennessee’s health care recovery plan.

Support it for jobs and local economies. Support it for the hundreds of thousands of Tennesseans like Sheila whose lives are threatened by common ailments. No life is worth losing when there is a feasible solution to save it.

State Rep. Ron Travis (R-Dayton) represents Tennessee House District 31, covering Bledsoe, Sequatchie, Rhea and part of Roane County.