Republican Tennessee lawmakers are making the case for a more limited approach to Medicaid expansion than the one proposed by Governor Bill Haslam. Haslam’s plan is called ‘Insure Tennessee.’
The task force appointed by GOP House Speaker Beth Harwell said Thursday its 3-Star Health proposal would first focus on extending coverage to the uninsured with behavior health problems and to veterans.
Representative Cameron Sexton said the group has presented the plan to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services but acknowledged that no other state has been approved for a similar approach.
The proposal also needs approval from the state legislature, which rejected Haslam’s proposal to extend coverage to 280-thousand people amid fears it was too closely linked to President Obama’s Affordable Care Act.