Reply #24: Is there any other State that has a similar program that works?

[Wcross]

I believe I heard that 1 in 4 of our citizens were on Tenn-care. (It may have been one in five).

Let me tell you about a former co-worker. His name is Tim. Tim worked at the same job I work at. We have a pretty good health plan for singles and a GREAT health plan for guys like Tim. Tim was a fundy who believed god would decide how many children he and his wife would have. At age 35 he had 9 kids in his household. He only had to pay around 100-150 a month for coverage. One of his children has diabetes which is quite expensive. He was able to quit a decent job to be at home with his family, in part because of Tenn-care. Good for Tim, bad for the program.

There are numerous cases of non-residents on the program (Living in as far away places such as the former Soviet Union). Many businesses’s don't offer a health plan because of the availability of Tenn-care or because employees aren't worried about health coverage (see the deal on Tim above). The activists won't budge and the State can't afford to continue the program as it was designed. Those that qualify for Medicare and Medicaid will not lose anything.

My hope is the program is redesigned and laws are passed forcing employers to offer group health plans.

Now, I want you to name a health care program as ambitious as Tenn-Care was and had a participation rate of 20- 25% of the states population.