HEADLINE: Haslam won’t expand insurance for poor
THE RECAP: Rather than expanding TennCare to cover additional low-income Tennesseans under Obamacare, Gov. Bill Haslam told a joint session of the General Assembly this week that he sought approval of a plan to let the state take $1 billion or more in annual federal funds provided by the federal Affordable Care Act to subsidize private insurance on a health care exchange. It is unknown whether U.S. Health and Human Services officials will permit Haslam’s self-described “Tennessee Plan.”
DREW’S VIEW: The sensational headlines and incorrect assumptions related to Haslam’s decision might lead many to believe the governor is leaving low income uninsured Tennesseans high and dry. That simply is not true.
If the feds allow Haslam’s plan, every single person in the state will have access to health insurance. The governor’s proposal covers all people under 100 percent of poverty not currently included in TennCare, and even the people in the 100 to 138 percent of poverty range that don’t necessarily receive insurance options through the Obamacare insurance exchanges.
In fact, Haslam’s “Tennessee Plan,” if implemented, actually allows the poorest people in the state to have access to the same insurance plans available to all Tennesseans, rather than relegating them to the often poor health care options available under TennCare, the state’s Medicaid system.