Josh Peterson

At the beginning of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Secretary of State Tre Hargett wants to remind Tennesseans about Safe at Home, the free statewide address confidentiality program for victims of sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking or domestic abuse.

“In the two years since we launched Safe at Home, we have helped hundreds of individuals and families protect themselves from becoming victims again by protecting their address,” said Secretary Hargett. “I encourage Tennesseans of any age or gender who have experienced stalking, human trafficking, domestic abuse or any sexual offense to take advantage of this free program.”

Safe at Home prevents abusers from locating their victims through public records by providing approved applicants a substitute address that may be used for legal purposes, including voter registration and government services such as a driver’s license and access to assistance programs.

Under current Tennessee law, most state and local government records are available for public review. These public records, which include identifying information, make it easy for abusers to track and find their victims.

The first step to participate in Safe at Home is to complete an application with one of our partner agencies. Safe at Home has partner agencies serving all 95 counties in Tennessee. Safe at Home partner agencies include state and local agencies and nonprofit organizations that provide counseling and shelter services to victims of domestic abuse and other crimes.

Each partner agency has certified application assistants to guide participants through enrollment. A list of partnering agencies can be found on our website SafeAtHomeTN.com.

By Nadia Ramligan, TN Public News Service

Under current law, Tennessee patients can be required to use certain pharmacies to fill their prescriptions, but a bill in the state Legislature could change that.

On Tuesday, the House Insurance Subcommittee passed a bill to ban so-called “patient steering,” and increase transparency and regulation of drug pricing.

Davidson County resident Eben Cathey said his wife, who has ALS, recently was told she almost certainly would need to change pharmacies, and potentially switch providers, after enrolling in Medicare.

“And that comes with several barriers,” he said. “I mean, one, some of these providers and the pharmacists are not close to us. So, it’s going to be much more inconvenient to drive 40 minutes round trip, as opposed to a 10-minute round trip.”

House Bill 1398 would stop the companies that manage prescription benefits on behalf of health insurers – called pharmacy-benefit managers – from directing patients toward their preferred network of pharmacies, affiliated hospitals and providers. It also would allow people to get drug-cost information directly from pharmacies. Pharmacy-benefit managers argue their industry helps lower drug costs for patients.

In addition, the bill would free up data on drug pricing to provide accurate information to patients at the time of care. Cathey said he and his wife currently expect to pay up to $1,000 a month to cover prescription costs.

“Along with the uncertainty of seeing our network of support, and the providers and pharmacists that we’re used to seeing, we have a relationship with,” he said, “there’s also the extra burden of really high drug coverage costs.”

Cathey added that navigating the health-care system for someone with a complex and rare disease has taken a mental toll, as well.

“Dealing with a chronic illness is stressful enough,” he said. “So it’s really a shame that, in order to receive quality care, you have to move through another set of barriers.”

Between 2012 and 2017, the cost of the average Tennessean’s prescription drugs increased by 58%, and around 34% of residents say they’ve stopped taking a medicine they need because they can’t afford it, according to data from AARP.

Tennessee has reached a vaccination landmark of one million Tennesseans being fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Approximately 22 percent have received at least one dose.

‘’We celebrate this milestone and expect to see this number increase as vaccine is more widely
available,” said Tennessee Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey, MD, MBA, FAAP. “The hard work
and dedication of our local health departments and statewide vaccine partners have helped us
reach this significant moment in our fight against COVID-19.”

Continued Focus on Equity and Underserved Populations
Tennessee is committed to ensure equity in its COVID-19 Vaccination Plan. TDH has been working with community partners, faith leaders, and health care advocates to help empower and inform underserved populations across the state. Over half of Tennesseans over the age of 60 have received their first dose, and nearly two-thirds of those over age 70 have received their first does. Meanwhile, over the past month, Tennessee’s Hispanic population receiving at least one dose has increased from 3.9 percent to 12.9 percent and Tennessee’s Black population receiving at least one dose has increased from 5 percent to 15 percent.

“We are encouraged that Tennessee is increasing uptake particularly among our elderly, minority and underserved populations,” said Piercey. “At this point in the vaccine roll out, we are committed to access for everyone if they choose to receive a vaccine in a health department, a pharmacy, or a provider’s office.”

Highest County Vaccine Administration
The following counties have the highest vaccine administration per 100,000 population in Tennessee. Three of these counties, Unicoi, Hancock, and Madison, are among Tennessee’s 35 counties with highest Social Vulnerability Index values, indicating they may struggle to recover from adversity. These 35 counties are provided additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines, beyond their population-based allocation, so those counties could move through the State’s eligibility phases more quickly and protect their high-risk communities.

Highest Doses/100K Population
Unicoi 33,186
Trousdale 32,706
Hancock 32,122
Moore 27,194
Madison 26,312
Marshall 25,548
Monroe 25,179
Henry 24,959
Sullivan 24,611
Pickett 24,590

Schedule Your Vaccination Appointment
Find vaccination providers in your area by visiting VaccineFinder.org. Tennessee county health departments across the state currently have appointments available for COVID-19 vaccination. Book an appointment with your county health department at COVID19.tn.gov. Those who need help scheduling a COVID-19 vaccination appointment with their local health department may call the TDH vaccine support line at 866-442-5301. Transportation resources are available when appointments are booked online or via phone.

TDH reminds all Tennesseans to remain vigilant to prevent the additional spread of COVID-19. In addition to vaccination, wearing a face mask, maintaining social distance and getting tested when exposed or sick are critical to controlling the pandemic.

Tennessee’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan is available online at www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/documents/cedep/novel-coronavirus/COVID-19_Vaccination_Plan.pdf. Find answers to frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccination at https://covid19.tn.gov/data/faqs/.

Join us at Thunder Radio and Rosalyn Partin of the Manchester H&R Block and congratulate our student of the week – Allie Raines

Allie is in 5th grade at Hickerson Elementary School. She is the daughter of Dustin Johnson and Jennifer Johnson. Her favorite subject is social studies. When she grows up, Allie would like to be a veterinarian. In her free time, Allie enjoys practicing softball and any other sports, taking care of her two dogs and a cat.

Rosalyn Partin, owner of the Manchester H&R Block, has been inspired to recognize great kids in our community all year long. H&R Block gives each Student of the Week a gift card, a commemorative plaque, as well as a special letter of recognition. Job well done, Allie!

(Pictured from left: Allie Raines, Hickerson principal Jimmy Anderson and Rosalyn Partin with H&R Block).