Sen. Watson seeks accountability for disabled Tennesseans
An investigation highlighting how people with disabilities struggle to get vital care is catching the attention of a powerful state lawmaker and bringing accountability to the groups in charge of providing necessary care.
In July, TennCare brought in Consumer Direct Care Network Tennessee to run the website. Since then, members like Candie Ferrell have struggled to hire care providers and pay them on time due to issues with the website.
“It’s devastating,” Ferrell said, referring to the difficulty she has faced trying to find around-the-clock care for her 35-year-old son Will, who lives with cerebral palsy.
Those cries for help caught the attention of Republican State Senator Bo Watson, who chairs the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee.
“I have a place in my heart for this group of individuals,” Senator Watson said. “They have challenges most of us will never experience. And well, I was unaware of the problems before your reporting.”
Watson convened a meeting at his State Capitol office with officials from TennCare, CDTN and the Tennessee Disability Coalition to investigate whether the issues were widespread or isolated incidents.