Tennessee senator floats AI review of TennCare document processing
At The Sycamore Institute's annual summit, Tennessee Gov.-elect Marsha Blackburn said a "Tennessee-style DOGE" spending review modeled on the federal DOGE effort is among her first priorities, aiming to cut unfilled positions, outdated programs and increase nonprofit accountability for state funds. Sen. John Stevens suggested AI could review and categorize TennCare Bureau documents for staff approval, reducing staffing needs, while Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari urged balancing efficiency with impacts on small-town government workers and constituent experience. Pew Charitable Trusts' Peter Muller noted states are exploring AI for efficiency, including accuracy improvements tied to SNAP error rates, since Tennessee could owe $162 million to $171 million depending on its fiscal 2026 SNAP error rate under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act's new state cost-share requirement, with penalties starting October 2027.