Launched in early 2007, Cover Tennessee offers a family of three insurance products – CoverTN for adults working for small businesses, CoverKids for children and pregnant women, and AccessTN for chronically ill adults with preexisting conditions. “CoverTN is really unique, because it’s a partnership between the state, an employer and an employee,” Lee explains. “The state, employer and employee each pay equal shares, or one-third, of the premium.” Monthly premiums under the CoverTN plan are approximately $150 per month, with the employee paying $50 per month on average. There are no deductibles, and pricing is straightforward: a $20 co-payment for a doctor’s office visit and $10 for most prescription drugs. The plan also includes coverage for hospitalization, diagnostic tests and other basic medical needs. “It’s a terrific way to bring people into the health-care system who’ve never had access to it,” Lee says. To promote personal responsibility, premiums vary based on age, smoking status and weight. “A person could pay between $34 and $99 per month,” Lee says. “People will see if they smoke or are obese, they’ll pay a little more than a non-smoker at their target weight.” Another benefit of CoverTN is its portability, meaning if a person leaves their employer, they can take the insurance with them if they agree to pay the employer’s share. “This is not Medicaid, and it’s not TennCare. CoverTN is funded exclusively through state funds,” Lee says. “We wanted
flexibility in the program design, and we wanted it to reflect the priorities and principles important to Tennessee.” Small businesses can visit www.covertn.gov or call 1-866-COVERTN to see if they qualify. “Governor Bredesen describes it as the first step to help solve the problems of the uninsured,” Lee says. “It’s a national problem, but this is a wonderful start to solving it close to home.” – Jessica Mozo
Thanks to Cover Tennessee, working Tennesseans are now able to purchase affordable and portable health insurance.
750 Million New Retail Dollars Here & Now* Wow, That’s Good. Wow, That’s Goodlettsville. As gateway to Sumner County, Goodlettsville, Tennessee has become one of the hottest retail locations in the state. Fifteen thousand new, singlefamily homes are approved in the region and will be built in the next three to five years. New residents and new retail dollars are here, and Goodlettsville is where you get to them. The I-65 Long Hollow Corridor, Conference Drive, the Main Street Master Plan, Northcreek Boulevard, Caldwell Square and Rivergate Parkway all offer prime retail locations to serve an exploding shopping population.
To learn more, call Jim Thomas at (615) 851-2231 *Derived from Claritus EBI data and a boat load of new people who are moving to Sumner County who have to drive right through Goodlettsville to get to their new $369,000 homes, and who need groceries, movies, clothing, dinner, shoes, furniture and a whole lot of other stuff!
TENNESSEE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
TNEDG.COM
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