Tennessee taxpayers put up almost $6 million for lawmakers' insurance

Tennessee Capitol
Tennessee Capitol
photo Tennessee Capitol

NASHVILLE -- A state agency made public on Friday morning documents detailing health insurance premiums paid for Tennessee lawmakers, but the actual amount spent covering medical care for the part-time jobs has yet to be released.

Tennessee has paid $5.8 million since 2008 in premiums, compared to $1.4 million paid by lawmakers, according to the state benefits administration office.

The Tennessean requested the documents after lawmakers receiving state-subsidized coverage voted against Gov. Bill Haslam's Insure Tennessee proposal. Insure Tennessee would have helped working people who can't afford medical insurance buy into their employer-sponsored plans and expanded Medicaid coverage for poor people. It would have been paid for with federal tax dollars Tennesseans are already paying and with money from the Tennessee Hospital Association.

Read more at The Tennessean.

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