Tennessee Health Care Campaign

Health Care Study Commission - May 20 Alert

Senate Bill 2046 / House Bill 1976

Your calls are needed on Monday and Tuesday. See below:

Why a Health Care Study Commission for Tennessee?

One out of six (6) Tennesseans are un-insured - That is close to 1 million Tennesseans. Another 1 million Tennesseans are under-insured, leaving these families without adequate protection to pay for a serious injury or illness;
Spending more now and covering fewer people - The state is spending more now and covering fewer people than it did in 2005 because of mismanagement and the loss of federal funds.
Cover Tennessee is inadequate - Even by the state's best scenario, Cover Tennessee will cover 132,000 by 2010.
Health Care is the number one social priority of the people - Illinois, Colorado, Louisiana, Maryland, New Mexico, and Washington State are have established commissions to see how more of their citizens can be covered. Legislators in other states including California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, Oregon, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Wisconsin are poised to act in 2007.
Read more - Talking Points.

How will a Health Care Study Commission help?

For the first time since 1991, all the stake holders (hospitals, doctors, nurses, consumer advocates, legislators and others) will come around the table to address the problem and recommend solutions to the legislature. Without the stakeholders coming together, everyone will continue to focus on their issues and ignore the bigger problem. Our elected officials are the only body that can make this happen.

What can you do?

On Monday, call legislators on the Study Committee of the House Finance Ways and Means Committee and ask them to support House Bill 1976. The members of the Study Committee are listed below;
On Tuesday, call your two state legislators - For this bill to become law it has to pass out of the Study Commission, then the Finance Committee, then the House Floor. On the Senate side, it has a similar route. However, now it in in the House Study Committee. We need to raise awareness with all state legislators. Find out who your two state legislators are by going to: State Legislators
Make a contribution to the Tennessee Health Care Campaign.Click here.

Members of the Study Committee:

Representative Lois Deberry - Part of Shelby county, 1-800-449-8366, x13830, rep.lois.deberry@legislature.state.tn.us
Representative Michael Harrison - Hancock and part of Hawkins counties, 1-800-449-8366, x17480, rep.mike.harrison@legislature.state.tn.us
Representative Mark Maddox - Weakley and part of Carroll counties, 1-800-449-8366, x17847, rep.mark.maddox@legislature.state.tn.us
Representative Steve McDaniel - Henderson, Chester and parts of Decatur and Wayne counties, 1-800-449-8366, x10750, rep.steve.mcdaniel@legislature.state.tn.us
Representative Randy Rinks - Hardin, McNairy and part of Decatur counties, 1-800-449-8366, x12007, rep.randy.rinks@legislature.state.tn.us
Representative Charles Sargent, Part of Williamson County - 1-800-449-8366, x16808, rep.charles.sargent@legislature.state.tn.us

Take action. Call Monday and Tuesday.