150,000 TennCare recipients statewide could be without the medical coverage they depend on soon.
TennCare is sending out letters to enrollees asking for information to make sure they are still eligible.
This is all because of a 21 year injunction that's been reversed by a federal judge.
Doctor Tom Kim looks over patients' charts.
He treats working American citizens for free who are without health insurance.
40%of his patients used to belong to TennCare.
Dr. Tom Kim says, "They all have nowhere to go. They have chronic diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and cholesterol problems."
Soon TennCare may be cutting more people off their enrollment list.
A federal judge overturned a ruling which said TennCare was unable to re-evaluate eligibility for 150 thousand recipients.
TennCare spokesperson Kelly Gunderson says, "This injunction was lifted by a federal judge in January, and it's great because it helps us ensure only those who are eligible for the program are on the program."
Now TennCare's sending out letters to those 150,000 TennCare recipients to get their up to date information.
They'll be asked basic TennCare eligibility requirements like current income, family size and any type of disability.
TennCare estimates 25,000 of the 150,000 will remain on the TennCare program.
The others may or may not depending on their current information.
Gunderson says, "It's only fair for our enrollees, for people who qualify for Medicaid, and for our taxpayers of Tennessee to make sure we're only paying for benefits for people who qualify."
That's a relief to Dr. Kim who's already treating more patients since the economy went sour last October.
TennCare will mail the first 40,000 letters May 1st.
Then every month after that 40,000 will be mailed until they're all sent.
If you're a TennCare recipient who receives a letter, you have about 50 days to fill it out and send it back into the state.