Tennessee Blue Cross Blue Shield Comment on House Healthcare Vote

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee continues to support comprehensive healthcare reform and we remain constructively engaged in this discussion by proposing an overhaul of how health insurance is provided.  

We support key elements of real reform, such as guaranteed coverage, elimination of pre-existing condition exclusions and no longer basing premiums on health status or gender, coupled with effective personal coverage requirement. These changes can help to get everyone covered and make health care affordable.

The most disappointing aspect of House bill HR. 3962 is that it fails to address the need to lower the health care cost curve and does not deliver on the promise that those who like their current coverage can keep it.  A new government-run plan will cause many to lose their existing coverage. 

We are greatly concerned about the crippling financial effects that the unfunded mandates in the bill will have on our state budget. Gov. Bredesen estimates that these unfunded mandates will cost state taxpayers many hundreds of millions of dollars. It’s simply illogical to think that these costs can be absorbed without damaging Tennessee’s economy.

We look to the Senate to help advance a workable healthcare reform measure that holds to the specific goals of improved access, real cost containment and promoting health care quality and illness prevention.