Cover Tennessee Recognizes Cover the Uninsured Week

“Because of Cover Tennessee, every week is Cover the Uninsured Week for us,” said Governor Phil Bredesen, who created the family of health coverage programs with the support of the General Assembly in 2007. “This national observance provides a great opportunity for us to continue to spread the word about these programs and get more coverage to uninsured Tennesseans.”

 

Introduced to provide health coverage options for those who were living without insurance, Cover Tennessee provides health benefits through three insurance programs and a pharmacy assistance program.

 

CoverTN is a limited benefit plan which provides the state’s working uninsured with the care most needed by the most people. With a focus on preventive care, CoverTN is available to uninsured small businesses, the self-employed, individuals who work but do not have coverage and the recently unemployed.

 

CoverTN’s benefit plan includes access to up to 12 primary care visits per year and up to six specialist visits, as well as pharmacy coverage and in- and outpatient services. Premiums are split three ways with the state, employer and employee each contributing one-third of the cost. For the self-employed and individuals, the state pays one-third and the individual is responsible for the remaining two-thirds.

 

To qualify, businesses cannot have offered health insurance for at least six months, and individuals must be without coverage for at least six months and be 19 years of age or older. For complete eligibility information, visit www.CoverTN.gov or call 1-866-COVERTN.

 

CoverKids provides free, comprehensive health insurance to children age 18 and younger in families who do not qualify for TennCare but cannot afford private health insurance. A family earning within 250 percent of the federal poverty level ($55,125 annually for a family of four) will qualify for CoverKids.

 

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Members pay no monthly premium for the coverage, but are responsible for low co-pays for services. The health plan includes coverage for everything from doctor visits to emergency care and hospitalization to mental health services and dental and vision care.

 

For complete eligibility and benefit information, or to apply online, visit www.CoverKids.com or call 1-866-620-8864.

 

AccessTN is a comprehensive health insurance plan for uninsured Tennesseans who are considered uninsurable due to pre-existing medical conditions. Members are responsible for paying the plan’s monthly premiums, which are based on age, weight and tobacco use. Three plan options are available with varying annual deductibles. Plan One has an annual deductible of $1,000, Plan Two is $3,000 annually and Plan Three carries a $5,000 deductible.

 

Because the plan is designed for the uninsurable, there are no pre-existing condition exclusions and both Plans One and Three offer complete pharmacy coverage from day one.

 

For those members who cannot afford the full monthly premium, state assistance is available subject to available funding. A waiting list for premium assistance is currently in place and can provide members with access to up to 60 percent premium assistance.

 

For more information about program benefits, enrollment or premium assistance, visit www.CoverTN.gov or call 1-866-COVERTN.

 

CoverRx provides uninsured individuals and those without pharmacy coverage with access to more than 250 generic medications, as well as diabetic supplies and insulin. The pharmacy assistance program helps members get 30- and 90-day supplies of medications for reasonable, income-based co-pays.

 

In addition, non-covered prescriptions are eligible for discounts and the plan can be used in conjunction with patient assistance programs and discount programs offered by retail pharmacies.

 

For eligibility information or to find out how to apply, visit www.CoverTN.gov or call 1-866-COVERTN.

 

The programs of Cover Tennessee provide commonsense solutions to the problems faced by thousands of uninsured Tennesseans. Since their launch, CoverTN, CoverKids, AccessTN and CoverRx have grown to serve the needs of nearly 90, 000 Tennesseans.