Gov. Bredesen announces new addition to CoverTN

CoverTN is Tennessee's health insurance program for small businesses, individuals and the self-employed.

The new addition to CoverTN will offer health insurance to Tennesseans who are between jobs.

Accompanying Gov. Bredesen were Commissioner James Neeley with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, and Stephani Ryan who is the CoverTN director.

"With the highest unemployment in 20 years in Tennessee, we needed to help job seekers in between jobs," said Bredesen. "We can't change what is happening nationwide, but we can help each and every Tennessean cope with tough times.

"CoverTN is helping thousands of working Tennesseans access basic health insurance, in many cases for the first time," said Bredesen.

The new CoverTN category, Tennesseans Between Jobs, provides health insurance coverage to individuals who have worked at least one 20-hour week in the last six months and earned $43,000 or less in income annually.

The category also is open to individuals who have had their work hours reduced to below 20 per week in the last six months.

"Seven thousand workers have a potential to participate in the new category of the program," Neeley said. "This is a way to give them relief without worrying about getting sick."

Additionally, individuals eligible to participate in the new CoverTN category must be able to pay their two-thirds share of the monthly premium, about $95 a month for an adult who is between 30 and 39 years old, at target weight and does not use tobacco. The state will pay the remaining one-third share of the monthly premium.

Individuals may begin applying for CoverTN in the new Tennesseans Between Jobs category immediately.

"Tennesseans Between Jobs is a result of several different conversations between the governor and the general assembly," Ryan said.

CoverTN's current eligibility categories include:

* Employers with 50 or fewer full-time workers, where half of the employees earn $43,000 or less annually.

* Employees working at least 20 hours per week at CoverTN-participating businesses with 50 and fewer workers.

* Employees at companies that do not offer employer-sponsored health insurance, or CoverTN, and who earn $43,000 or less annually; and

* Self-employed individuals who work at least 20 hours per week and earn $43,000 or less annually in adjusted gross income.

Once enrolled in CoverTN, individuals can remain in the program as long as they can pay their share of the monthly premium, regardless of the eligibility category.

In other program changes, CoverTN will now count the hours from each job an individual works to determine if the applicant meets the 20 hour-per-week requirement needed to enroll in the program. Previously, CoverTN counted only the hours from an individual's primary job. Also, CoverTN will use adjusted gross income, instead of gross income, in determining eligibility of self-employed individuals.

CoverTN currently has 15,383 members in the program with 6,379 participating small businesses.

CoverTN is part of Cover Tennessee, Bredesen's multi-pronged effort to extend health insurance to Tennessee's uninsured. Cover Tennessee's other programs are: CoverKids, comprehensive health insurance for qualifying children 18 years old and under; AccessTN, comprehensive health insurance for Tennesseans with uninsurable or catastrophic health care conditions; and CoverRx, a pharmacy-assistance program providing uninsured Tennesseans access to affordable prescriptions.

For more information on any of the Cover Tennessee programs, visit www.CoverTN.gov or call 1-866-COVERTN.