Brian Kelsey

State Senator
Judiciary Committee Chairman
District 31: Cordova,
East Memphis, and Germantown

Senate Chamber
State of Tennessee

7 Legislative Plaza
Nashville, TN 37243-0231
1-800-449-8366 ext. 13036
(615) 741-3036
fax (615) 253-0266
sen.brian.kelsey@capitol.tn.gov

February 9, 2015
The Hon. Lamar Alexander
455 Dirksen Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510

The Hon. Bob Corker

425 Dirksen Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510

The Hon. Phil Roe

407 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515

The Hon. Jimmy Duncan

2207 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515

The Hon. Chuck Fleischmann

230 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515

The Hon. Scott DesJarlais

413 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515

The Hon. Jim Cooper

1536 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515

The Hon. Diane Black

1131 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515

The Hon. Marsha Blackburn

2266 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515

The Hon. Stephen Fincher

2452 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515

The Hon. Steve Cohen

2404 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Members of the Tennessee Congressional Delegation:

Thank you for your service to our state. I am writing to ask you to address two important health
care issues facing our state. First, Tennesseans need flexibility in administering our Medicaid
program. Second, our seniors and hospitals are suffering from cuts made to Medicare and hospitals
from the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
Tennesseans have a long history of charting our own course and making our own way. It is time that
we in Tennessee and in every other state have the opportunity to reform our countrys broken
health insurance system.
Gov. Haslam and I agree completely that Tennessee needs full flexibility from the federal
government in how it administers its Medicaid program. In 2006 I introduced legislation in
Tennessee to request a waiver from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to create
Personal Health Accounts for Medicaid recipients. These accounts would to pay a portion of the
enrollee's health care expenses and allow the enrollee to exercise consumer market power for health
care goods and services. This is the type of conservative plan that Tennessee could institute by
receiving a block grant from the federal government to administer Medicaid. I thank Sen. Alexander
for his leadership on advocating this position on behalf of states. Now that we have new party

control in the Senate, I ask you as an entire delegation to advocate and do your best to pass
legislation transforming Medicaid into a block grant system for states.
I am also writing you to urge you to address the funding cuts to Medicare that were imposed on
Tennesseans to pay for Obamacare. Seniors are facing a shrinking number of health care providers
who will accept Medicare patients because cuts to the reimbursement rates helped fund Obamacare.
In the new Congress that is upon us, I hope that you will address this growing problem.
Also, I have heard from many hospitals who are deeply concerned about the proposed cuts to their
disproportionate share (DSH) payments for serving uninsured patients. They claim that these cuts
are causing them to close. This is a serious issue that was caused by those of you who voted for
Obamacare. Thank you to those who opposed it. I hope that the new Congress will also be able to
address this problem. This was a problem caused by Washington, so I am requesting that
Washington fix the problem.
As you know, we balance our budget every year in the state of Tennessee, and we have the lowest
per capita debt in the entire nation. We need your help to continue the fiscal responsibility that this
state has maintained through years of both Democrat and Republican majorities in the state
legislature. I hope we can count on you for action in these areas.
Again, thank you for your service. It is an honor to work with you to make Tennessee a better state
for our children and grandchildren. Please feel free to contact me if I may be of assistance to you.
Sincerely,

Brian Kelsey