NASHVILLE - Most Tennesseans haven't heard about Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's 'Insure Tennessee' plan, but among the one third who have, 49 percent said they support the proposal, according to a just-released poll.
The Middle Tennessee State University statewide survey of 600 adults shows Haslam "has gotten a noticeable head start in promoting the measure among Tennesseans," said Ken Blake, the MTSU's poll director.
State lawmakers will convene in a week-long special session Monday to consider giving Haslam the go ahead to pursue what he calls a "market-driven" take on federal Medicaid expansion. The plan would use federal dollars to extend health insurance coverage to an estimated 280,000 low-income Tennesseans.
The poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points, was conducted Jan. 25-27. Those surveyed were asked whether they had heard about Insure Tennessee, "which is designed to provide health insurance for Tennesseans who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford coverage on their own."
A follow-up question asked respondents how they felt "right now about the governor's Insure Tennessee proposal."
According to the results:
* Thirty-three percent of Tennesseans have read or heard "a lot" (10 percent) or "some" (23 percent) about Insure Tennessee. Another 66 percent said they heard either "a little" (31 percent) or "nothing at all" (36 percent).
* Among the 33 percent who have at least some information, 49 percent favor the proposal, 11 percent oppose it, and 40 percent are unsure or haven't made up their minds.
* Among the 66 percent who have heard little or nothing, 69 percent don't know how they feel about it. Another 26 percent expressed support and 5 percent said they were opposed.
Overall, regardless of how much they have read or heard about the measure, 34 percent favor Insure Tennessee, 7 percent oppose it, and 59 percent remain uncertain, according to an MTSU news release.
