Gov. Bill Haslam's (R) proposed alternative Medicaid expansion plan is different than the "traditional" Medicaid expansion, according to The Tennessean.
The proposed plan, called Insure Tennessee, has not been finalized and still needs to be approved by the state legislature.
But in the meantime, here are five things to know from The Tennessean about the alternative Medicaid expansion plan, as it is currently proposed:
1. Gov. Haslam wants his Insure Tennessee plan to put an emphasis on "personal responsibility" through things such as co-payments, deductibles "or other plans that require 'skin in the game.'"
2. There are two options for coverage under the plan: the Volunteer Plan and the Healthy Incentives Plan.
3. Under the Volunteer Plan, employees who aren't financially able to enroll in their employer's health insurance plan may use vouchers to pay insurance premiums and "other out-of-pocket costs in connection to the privately offered insurance." Still, "the plan won't necessarily cover all of the costs for the private plan," according to the report.
4. The concept of the Healthy Incentives Plan involves assisting enrollees in creating a health savings account, which builds up when enrollees practice "healthy behaviors" such as preventative services.
5. Plan participants must earn 138 percent or less of the federal poverty level.
More articles on Medicaid expansion:
Medicaid expansion attracts support in Montana
Medicaid expansion update: 5 must-read stories
Swift passage of Medicaid expansion in North Carolina unlikely