A plan to offer basic health insurance to low-income uninsured residents of Tennessee has been approved by the state’s legislature and is expected to be signed into law by Gov. Phil Bredesen, reports the Associated Press. Beginning in January 2007, eligible adults under the plan will pay an average of $150/month for basic insurance, with the state paying $50 of the premium and employers having the option to contribute $50. By eliminating catastrophic coverage, deductibles will be modest. “The idea is to set a large-deductible plan on its head,” Dave Goetz, the state finance commissioner, told the AP. Private insurance companies will offer the plan, which will be limited to individuals who earn $24,500 or less or a family of four with an income of less than $50,000. Cover Tennessee is expected to provide insurance to 100,000 adults, 75,000 children, and 15,000 chronically ill individuals. The state has 600,000 uninsured people.
