Area of Focus: Public Health
Since 1993, the LWV has been committed to promoting “a health care system for the United States that provides access to a basic level of quality care for all U.S. residents and controls health care costs“ https://lwvc.org/position/health-care. We are not there yet. While Davidson County is one of the healthiest counties in Tennessee, it still has significant health disparities, with one in five residents reporting poor health and one in six who remain uninsured. https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/tennessee/2021/rankings/davidson/county/outcomes/overall/snapshot
Why it Matters
Tennessee remains one of only 12 states that failed to expand its Medicaid program to low-income adults. The COVID and opioid epidemics have revealed how the health of some impacts the health of all, how gaps in health access and information can divide our communities, and how social and economic factors affect health outcomes.
Learn More About This Issue
- Find where to get health care if you are uninsured here: https://www.tnpca.org/find_chc and http://www.tccnetwork.org/find_a_clinic.html.
- Find where to get help to enroll in TennCare or in Affordable Care Act health coverage here: https://www.fcsnashville.org/health-care-access-services/ or https://insurealltn.com/.
- Find community COVID updates and resources here: https://www.asafenashville.org/. For data on infection rates, hospitalizations and mortality visit here: https://covid19.tn.gov/data/dashboards/?County=Davidson.
- Find resources about behavioral health services here: https://www.tn.gov/behavioral-health.html and for mental health emergencies here: https://www.tn.gov/behavioral-health/need-help.html. Note the suicide prevention lifeline: 800-273-8255. Or call the Tennessee REDLINE: 800-889-9789 for help with substance abuse issues.
- Find resources for unhoused here: http://www.wttin.org/, or how the county is responding to homelessness here: https://www.nashville.gov/departments/social-services/homeless-impact-division.
What You Can Do
- Join the LWVN to be a part of efforts related to health issues on the local, state, and national Anyone 16 and older can join. Click here to become a member.
- Urge our Governor and state representatives to extend Medicaid to low-income Tennesseans.
- Share accurate information with vaccine-hesitant family members and neighbors and urge them to reconsider vaccines and masking because you care about them.
- Ask School Board and City Council members to hold firm on enforcing mask mandates and vaccination or testing requirements