State Finance Commissioner Dave Goetz got a positive response from nearly 60 small business owners in Nashville yesterday regarding the new Cover TN health insurance plan.
Cover T-N is part of a sweeping health care bill state legislators passed this year. It offers basic health benefits for an estimated $150 monthly premium that’s shared between the state, the employer and the employee.
For a company to qualify it must be located in Tennessee, have 25 or fewer employees, not offered health insurance in the last six months, and half of the employees must have a salary less than $41 thousand dollars a year.
Michael Carter owns Athena Health Club and Day Spa in Brentwood. He has 60 employees and doesn’t qualify for Cover T-N. Even so, he says the plan is a good idea.
“Here’s a way to have a competitive advantage where you can provide health insurance. And you’ll be able to retain, you’ll be able to have productive, supportive employees. So again, it’s not for everyone, but for someone that doesn’t have any health insurance at this point in time that they’re offering, it is a good economic buy.”
Companies can find out if they qualify for the health insurance program by going to www.covertn.gov and filling out a short questionnaire. State officials are hoping to enroll 25,000 businesses by June of next year.
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