Tina Claxton

Wartrace, TN

Tina Claxton has a 25-year-old daughter, Abigail, who has a rare condition known as Hurler Syndrome. Abigail requires a specific medication to keep her heart rate regulated. TennCare has denied this necessary medication in the past, but Tina has always appealed and won so her daughter can keep her medication.

The recently approved TennCare block grant allows for a set drug formulary, which poses a risk to the Claxton family if Abigail’s medication is not on the approved list of drugs.Tina has been vocal in her opposition against the block grant, because of the threat it brings to people with complex medical conditions like her daughter. She spoke against the block grant at a public hearing in Nashville in the fall of 2019, and her story was recently featured on Nashville local news.

Watch the local news coverage of her story here.