Governor Launches CoverTN

Governor Phil Bredesen launches CoverTN outside Maggie's Arcade Grill at Nashville's Arcade on March 8, 2007. He hands a ceremonial CoverTN card to Angie Moore, the sales manager of The Pepper Patch, a specialty foods shop in Franklin, TN. The Pepper Patch has signed on to CoverTN, an affordable and portable health insurance initiative for working Tennesseans who are uninsured. He was joined by small business owners, their employees and elected officials outside Maggie's Arcade Grill at Nashville's Arcade. Among those in attendance was Bob Keast, 2nd generation family owner of Birdsong Resort, Marina and The Tennessee River Freshwater Pearl Museum, Farm and Tour of Camden, Tennessee along with John Holladay, 2nd generation family owner of Maggie's Grill in the Arcade. They are pictured here together inside the meat and three, family restaurant. "As tourists, John and his family own a camper on the lake here at Birdsong's Lakeside RV and Tent Campgrounds. Tourism is our main business and the Holladay's are some of our best customers. They are loyal outdoor recreationalists and love Benton County on the scenic Birdsong Creek", says Keast.

Keast said, "It is a great day in Tennessee when we, as small business owners can offer a wonderful health care program like CoverTN to our employees. I know that Dave Goetz, Commissioner of Finance and Administration, Gary Odom, State Representative and Majority Leader and the entire Legislature in both the House and the Senate worked really hard with Governor Bredesen and the National Independent Business Federation to obtain such a program. Today is a milestone in Tennessee's history for affordable health care to all Tennesseans.”

"Far too many working people have not had access to health insurance in our state, but starting today they have a choice and it is CoverTN," Bredesen said. "We're putting access to the most needed medical services within reach of working Tennesseans and making great progress to open the doors of our health care system to Tennesseans who have been without options for too long."

CoverTN creates a partnership between the state, small businesses and their employees to provide coverage for the most needed medical services. It's not a mandated program or an entitlement program - it is a voluntary initiative for uninsured Tennesseans to obtain private insurance. The individual owns the plan, not the state or the company.

"NFIB members have told us - through surveys and direct feedback - they appreciate that CoverTN offers basic, affordable coverage that is both voluntary and portable," said Gary Selvy, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), who joined Bredesen at the announcement. "While many states are currently debating and planning to expand health insurance access to the nearly 46 million uninsured Americans, Tennessee is now putting benefits in reach of working uninsured small-business owners and their employees."

CoverTN features no front-end deductibles, and pricing is simple and straight-forward: $25 co-payment for a doctor's office visit and $10 for most prescription drugs. There is also coverage for hospitalization and other medical needs. To promote personal responsibility, premiums are based on weight, tobacco use and age - with an average monthly premium of $50 for each payer.

Governor Bredesen's multi-pronged effort, Cover Tennessee, will extend health insurance to uninsured individuals in Tennessee, with CoverTN as the centerpiece of the initiative. Comprehensive coverage for children will be provided through CoverKids, and chronically ill adults are covered through AccessTN, a high-risk pool. The Cover Tennessee initiative also includes a series of initiatives that target the growing prevalence of diabetes through ProjectDiabetes and focuses on improved lifestyle choices through GetFitTN. The programs were overwhelmingly endorsed by the General Assembly in 2006.

Click HERE to download information on the CoverTN Medical Insurance Program.