Cover Tennessee Insurance Plan Advances in House

Gov. Phil Bredesen’s plan to offer health care coverage to uninsured Tennessee workers has been advanced by the House Commerce Committee.

Committee members raised similar concerns as those brought up earlier this week in a Senate committee about the program’s lack of long-term funding.

The administration has earmarked $100 million in TennCare reserves to fund the first three years of the program.

“It’s like capital for a new company,” Finance Commissioner Dave Goetz told the committee. “In essence this is startup.”

Goetz said the fate of the Cover Tennessee plan would become apparent soon after it gets under way, giving officials enough time to figure out the funding stream before the first three years are up.

The committee agreed to advance the bill to the House Finance Committee.