Consensus Statement Seeking Immediate Action to Make the Tennessee Plan Happen

The Affordable Care Act offers our state federal Medicaid dollars to provide health coverage to as many as 363,000 low-income Tennesseans. Most of these are adults who don’t get insurance where they work and can’t afford insurance without help. Governor Haslam chose not to use this money to expand Medicaid (TennCare). Instead, the Governor has outlined a “Tennessee Plan” which would use federal dollars to enroll these people in private health insurance. Federal approval of a similar plan by Arkansas is already benefiting that state’s residents and shows the merit of Governor Haslam’s approach.

If the Governor does not make the Tennessee Plan happen, these individuals will have nowhere else to turn for coverage.

We the undersigned agree with Governor Haslam that people having health care coverage is better for our citizens and state. We support a plan to use federal dollars to buy private health insurance for Tennesseans who have no other way to get coverage.

The Tennessee Plan will provide more than $1 billion ($1,000,000,000) in federal dollars each year to pay for health care coverage for our lowest-income citizens.

The Tennessee Plan will keep Tennesseans’ federal taxes in Tennessee, ensuring that money earmarked for Tennessee will benefit our people and our businesses.

The Tennessee Plan will generate tens of thousands of jobs statewide and will result in economic growth and increased state and local tax revenue.

The Tennessee Plan will reduce the amount of money healthcare providers and state and local governments lose when they provide care to uninsured patients. This will reduce cost shifting and will lower costs for everyone.

The Tennessee Plan will protect hospitals from the loss of federal funds, preventing the closure of many hospitals, particularly in rural areas, and protecting the communities they serve.

The Tennessee Plan will provide families peace of mind by reducing the threat of financial ruin following an illness or injury.

Therefore, we urge Governor Haslam, Lieutenant Governor Ramsey, House Speaker Harwell and the Members of the Tennessee General Assembly to take immediate action to submit to federal officials a proposal that can win approval to use federal funds to purchase private health insurance for Tennesseans up to 138% of the poverty level. Furthermore, we believe the Tennessee Plan is critical to all Tennesseans and, upon receiving federal approval, should be implemented immediately.

For more information, please visit www.tennesseeplan.org