December 20, 2006

State Seeks To Attract More Potential TennCare Enrollees

The state of Tennessee has launched a new website, Retire Tennessee, to attract more retirees to move to Tennessee. The site site features Tennessee's amenities and information about climate, geography, cost of living and visiting the state.

"Spending by retirees creates jobs and opportunities that can bring new wealth to local economies," Tennessee Economic & Community Development Commissioner Matthew Kisber said in a news release. "The state recognizes retiree migration as a growing industry and we hope retirees will utilize this program to learn more about our state and the benefits of choosing Tennessee as a retirement destination."

Now, I'd love to have my mom and dad living here in Tennessee, but is it really a good idea for the state economic development office to promote Tennessee as a retirement haven? I know the senior demographic is the nation's wealthiest, and that retirees can fuel economic growth. But ... won't many of these retirees wind up on TennCare? Will more retirees generate sufficient additional tax revenues to cover that cost - and the additional costs for other governmental services - or will taxpayers wind up bearing increased costs if Tennessee successfully attracts more retirees?