Nov. 13, 2007
(615) 532-1921 OFFICE
(615) 268-1337 MOBILE
COVER TENNESSEE PROGRAMS NOW SERVE MORE THAN 50,000 TENNESSEANS
CoverKids, Tennessee’s State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), provides comprehensive health insurance to uninsured children who do not qualify for TennCare.
“This milestone shows how far we’ve come in a relatively short amount of time,” said Dr. Andrea D. Willis, CoverKids director. “In June 2006, the Kaiser Family Foundation ranked Tennessee 51st nationally in SCHIP enrollment because Tennessee had no program. Now, just months after the launch of CoverKids, we’re 36th and climbing quickly as we work to meet Governor Bredesen’s goal to close the health care gap for Tennessee’s uninsured children.”
Bredesen outlined his goals for CoverKids at the program’s official launch in March and with the kick-off of the back-to-school enrollment campaign in August.
“Over 100,000 Tennessee children go without any health insurance every year,” Bredesen said. “CoverKids provides access to complete health care coverage for these children so they have the opportunity for a healthy start in life. Giving our children quality health care is just as important as providing them with a quality education, and I want to make sure we do not miss any child who could possibly benefit from the CoverKids program.”
Cover Tennessee, Bredesen’s multi-pronged effort to extend health insurance to uninsured individuals in Tennessee, is now serving 57,703 Tennesseans through its four programs: CoverKids, CoverTN, CoverRx and AccessTN.
CoverTN, which partners the state with private employers and individuals to offer affordable and portable basic health coverage for employees of Tennessee’s small businesses, is serving 12,462 working Tennesseans.
CoverRx, a pharmacy assistance program that provides Tennesseans access to affordable prescription medications, serves 27,942 members.
AccessTN, which offers health insurance to Tennesseans with uninsurable or catastrophic health care conditions, is serving 2,049 Tennesseans who previously had no other options.
“These are programs that work for the individual, for the marketplace, and for the state, and we need to continue to work to increase enrollment, particularly in CoverKids,” said Laurie Lee, executive director of Benefits Administration in the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration.
CoverKids offers comprehensive health insurance coverage for children 18 years-old and younger, with an emphasis on preventive care and services most needed by children, including vaccinations, well-child visits, healthy babies program, and developmental screenings. There are no pre-existing condition exclusions. CoverKids features no monthly premiums, but each participant will pay reduced co-payments for services. A family of four with a household income of $51,625 or less is eligible. Families above the income limit who wish to purchase coverage for their child can buy in to the program by paying monthly premiums.
More information on all Cover Tennessee programs is available at www.CoverTN.gov or by calling 1-866-COVERTN.
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