July 18, 2007
(615) 532-1921 OFFICE
(615) 268-1337 MOBILE
Tennessee public schools receive one million program applications
Sign-up events planned for sales tax holiday weekend, Aug. 3-5
“Giving our children quality health care is just as important as providing them with a quality education,” said Gov. Phil Bredesen. "We are blanketing the state with applications, resources and volunteers to make sure we do not miss any child who could possibly benefit from the CoverKids program. I encourage every parent to look for the CoverKids application in their child’s back-to-school packet, fill it out and send it in.”
Working with the Department of Education, CoverKids is coordinating the delivery and distribution of one million program applications to Tennessee’s public schools. The applications will be included in each child’s back-to-school packet. Each CoverKids application will include a postage-paid, self-addressed envelope to make it easy for parents to return completed applications.
CoverKids representatives will also be working with the Department of Revenue to host enrollment events across Tennessee, leading up to and during the state’s sales tax holiday weekend, Friday, Aug. 3 to Sunday, Aug. 5. Cover Tennessee officials also will ask Gov. Bredesen to proclaim the week of Aug. 5 as CoverKids week in Tennessee.
A family of four with a $51,625 yearly income will qualify for CoverKids with no monthly premiums for coverage. Once enrolled, families will pay only $5-15 for doctors visits when their children are sick and as little as $5 for generic medications. Plus, they will not have co-pays for vaccinations, routine well-exams, labs or x-rays. Families above the income limit may “buy in” to the program.
In addition to CoverKids, Gov. Bredesen’s Cover Tennessee initiative offers health insurance options to small businesses through CoverTN and to uninsurable adults with AccessTN. Cover Tennessee also provides pharmacy assistance to those without prescription drug coverage through CoverRX. More information on all Cover Tennessee programs is available at www.CoverTN.gov or by calling 1-866-COVERTN.
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