By skyforbes 
Report: People without insurance more likely to skip treatment
NASHVILLE — People without health coverage pose a distinct problem during a pandemic outbreak because research shows the uninsured are much more likely to skip preventive care and treatment. In 2018, one in five uninsured adults went without needed medical care due to cost, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
With estimates to treat a hospitalized COVID-19 patient ranging between $9,763 and $20,292, many Tennesseans without insurance will risk going without care and, during an outbreak, that’s a threat to public health—particularly if it allows the disease to go undetected.
Sen. Brenda Gilmore (D-Nashville) understands this problem and that’s why she’s advocating for reforms that remove financial barriers between people without insurance and doctors.
In Tennessee, that solution is, and has been, Medicaid expansion.
“I know that many of my colleagues are opposed to expanding Medicaid. My fear is that people who do not have insurance will not seek medical care because they just can’t pay for it,” Sen. Gilmore said. “If we expanded Medicaid, that might prevent the further spread (of coronavirus)…So I hope my colleagues will seriously consider that.”
There are more than 675,000 people in Tennessee who have lost health coverage, according to a 2018 report by the Census Bureau.
Under Medicaid expansion, a person who earns less than $24,000 a year and is not offered health coverage through their job would be allowed to enroll in TennCare, the state’s Medicaid program for low-income residents.
The expansion program would be fully paid for with federal funds (90%) and hospital fees (10%).