Former TN Gov: More Manpower Won’t Solve Botched Obamacare Site

Former Governor Phil Bredesen spoke to reporters following an announcement about improved statewide education scores. He also said he’s “on the record” as encouraging Governor Bill Haslam to expand the state’s Medicaid program under Obamacare, but mostly just to keep from sending Tennessee tax dollars to subsidize coverage in other states and not here. Credit: Blake Farmer / WPLN

Tennessee’s former governor is dubious that simply adding manpower will fix the glitchy Obamacare website.

Two-term Democrat Phil Bredesen made his fortune in healthcare technology. And he says in his experience, “you can’t just throw bodies” at such a complex problem.

“If you just hire a whole bunch of people and send them out to try and fix a complicated system like that, I don’t know, it’s kind of like getting nine women together in a room and saying, ‘produce a baby in one month.’ It just doesn’t work quite that way.”

When he was governor, Bredesen’s misgivings with Obamacare were used by Republicans around the country to undercut the health overhaul.

The one-time possible pick for Health and Human Services Secretary says he doesn’t want to play Monday morning quarterback. But he also says the Administration knew building the website would require a 150-percent effort and ended up giving it 50 percent.