she/her Executive Director @TNJusticeCenter. Opinion’s are mine alone. Trying 2 make the world a better place as a southern, Catholic, lawyer, runner, mom of 3.

Nashville, TN
Joined October 2012
#Medicaidexpansion will transform TN’s economy ($900 M- net) & strengthen our health care infrastructure (#1 in the nation @rural hospital closures). Any elected officials refusing 2 consider it, will pay a steep political price. TNeans are too smart & they hate being beat by AL
Under the new Biden stimulus law, Tennessee could expand Medicaid AND save $900 million over two years. The state's Republican lawmakers have prevented expansion for a decade, but are now willing to consider it. Story by me and the great @natalie_allison. tennessean.com/story/news/he…
5
16
Michele Johnson retweeted
About 5.5 million people, including about 2 million children, have lost SNAP since the 2025 reconciliation law was enacted. As participation losses far exceed CBO’s estimates, Congress should delay the law’s SNAP cost shift to states: cbpp.org/blog/congress-must-…
1
7
2
7
1,457
This is an unfolding crisis. Congress must act to delay the cost shift.
In the wake of unprecedented cuts in last year's Republican reconciliation law, SNAP participation & spending have been falling — and the decline is much deeper than the Congressional Budget Office initially projected. cbpp.org/blog/congress-must-…
51
Michele Johnson retweeted
NEW: In the year after the Republican reconciliation law enacted deep cuts, 5.5 million people lost access to SNAP nationwide, including an estimated 2 million children. It's increasingly urgent for Congress to act before even more families lose SNAP. cbpp.org/research/food-assis…
2
11
1
16
2,063
Michele Johnson retweeted
Worker premiums for family health insurance are up 9%. The total average premium is $28,303. The average deductible is $1,955. It's no wonder people are worried about health care costs.
17
32
14
43
6,779
Michele Johnson retweeted
More than 9 in 10 voters favor requiring hospitals to fully disclose the prices they charge before providing care, according to a new poll from the Alliance for Fair Health Pricing (AFFHP).
1
3
3
205
Michele Johnson retweeted
“We see more veterans seeking assistance at food banks and our network of food security partners than we have in the past because they can no longer access the SNAP program." sourcenm.com/2026/10/19/its-…
1
7
20
559
Michele Johnson retweeted
Trump-GOP Medicaid cuts are haunting Republicans. They voted to take hundreds of billions from the program, and now they can’t talk about anything else without being asked about it. politico.com/news/2026/10/19…
2
12
1
16
2,871
Michele Johnson retweeted
These ACA premium increases will hit hardest for middle-income people who lost eligibility for premium subsidies entirely when enhanced ACA tax credits expired. @pw_cunningham
Scoop: Healthcare.gov premiums for benchmark plans are set to rise 11% on average in 2027. It's the 2nd year in a row for double-digit spikes but not nearly as bad as last yr's 30%. Insurer participation is down 14%. washingtonsun.com/health/aca…
8
11
2
22
3,979
Michele Johnson retweeted
Scoop: Healthcare.gov premiums for benchmark plans are set to rise 11% on average in 2027. It's the 2nd year in a row for double-digit spikes but not nearly as bad as last yr's 30%. Insurer participation is down 14%. washingtonsun.com/health/aca…
5
59
9
79
20,293
Michele Johnson retweeted
Health equity isn’t just about certain communities. In this episode, Dr. @uche_blackstock explains why she sees health equity as inseparable from quality, safety, trust, and accountability and why improving outcomes for those facing the greatest barriers benefits everyone. on.kff.org/4yQQbJ0
7
2
7
2,172
Michele Johnson retweeted
Texas has among the highest state rates of people in medical debt. Policymakers in Texas are considering legislation that would require nonprofit hospitals to use “presumptive eligibility” before sending patients a bill. kffhealthnews.org/health-car…
2
7
2
10
1,112
Michele Johnson retweeted
Hospitals have a tool to automatically screen patients for financial aid and grant them relief: presumptive eligibility. But if, when, and how they deploy it is largely up to them. There are few state or federal requirements. kffhealthnews.org/health-ind…
2
12
14
1,585
Michele Johnson retweeted
Forty states maintain waiting lists or interest lists for people who would like to receive home care, a number that fluctuated little between 2016 and 2026. New KFF data on who is waiting and for how long: on.kff.org/4dMVmBp
11
1
9
1,612
Michele Johnson retweeted
There’s still one insurance market where people with pre-existing conditions can be denied coverage: Medigap. 74% of Medicare Advantage enrollees have a pre-existing condition that could lead to a Medigap denial if they switch to traditional Medicare.
8
17
3
18
4,520
Michele Johnson retweeted
KFF’s new interactive maps show Medicaid enrollment by congressional district and eligibility group. See the data: on.kff.org/4semxep
7
4
15
12,228
Michele Johnson retweeted
The 2025 reconciliation law makes major changes to Medicaid in every state — from work requirements (44 states) to immigrant eligibility restrictions (51) to limits on provider taxes (51). More on how and which states are affected in our new brief: on.kff.org/4hQIsDB
3
7
4
17
3,129
Michele Johnson retweeted
All states are affected by the 2025 reconciliation law’s Medicaid changes. See which of the law’s provisions affect each states — and which states are facing the greatest changes: on.kff.org/4hQIsDB
4
3
764
Michele Johnson retweeted
Last year's reconciliation law will shift huge new SNAP costs to states based on their SNAP "error rate." In response, some states passed laws that will make it even harder for eligible families to access SNAP — and in some cases, could *increase* errors. cbpp.org/research/food-assis…
1
6
2
19
535