Haslam isn't a fan of health care reform, judging from this open letter to the Tennessee Congressional delegation.

P.S. Haslam says "unfunded mandates" will cost the state "$750 million over the next five years." Presumably he's referring to last year's GOP talking points re. Medicaid expansion. First of all, the expansion doesn't take place until 2014. Second of all, the reconciliation bill fully funds it for the first five years.

Or maybe I'm mistaken about all that and someone knows what $750 million he's talking about?

74
vote
bizgrrl's picture

Once again, "failure of

Once again, "failure of vision".

michael kaplan's picture

i wonder what his personal

i wonder what his personal healthcare plan looks like and how much he pays for it.

Factchecker's picture

Irony

I can't imagine any family in the region who have made more money off of unhealthy lifestyle choices: junk food, beer, tobacco, and fossil fuels.

michael kaplan's picture

and i wonder, too, what those

and i wonder, too, what those who sell that stuff earn, and what kind of healthcare benefits, if any, they receive.

rocketsquirrel's picture

Wouldn't it be interesting to

Wouldn't it be interesting to poll some employees of Pilot Travel Centers on their satisfaction with their health care benefits? After all, Haslam brought it up.

michael kaplan's picture

i doubt they'd talk unless

i doubt they'd talk unless you interviewed them away from the security cameras. does anyone here know anyone who works at pilot?

michael kaplan's picture

UPDATE

i spoke to a pilot employee who told me the company provides medical and dental benefits at modest cost to full-time employees.

Pam Strickland's picture

I know someone who works at a

I know someone who works at a Travel Center. They don't get much paid time off, but the health benefits are decent for full-time employees. Not top of the line, but far from the worst out there.

Jason Bower's picture

These are pretty good health

These are pretty good health benefits.
From their Web page.

Team Member Benefits
Am I Eligible?

If you work at least 32 hours per week, your benefits will begin on the first of the month following 30 days of employment (Example: Date of hire April 15th, Eligible June 1st) Benefits options need to be elected by 30 days after your start date or you will have to wait until the fall for open enrollment.

Medical/Prescription Coverage

Gateway Plan: No charge for first $200 of doctor visit expenses. After $200, Pilot pays 75% of covered, in-network charges up to $10,000 per person per year. No office visit co-pays or deductibles.
Definity Account Plan: Hourly team members are eligible for enrollment after 12 months of enrollment on Gateway Plan. Pilot pays 80% of in-network charges after $1,500 individual/$3,000 family deductible. Includes a Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) funded by Pilot of $500 individual/$1,000 family that goes towards deductible. No office visit co-pays.
Prescription: Gateway Plan max $300 individual/$900 family per year.
$10 co-pay, Generic
$30 co-pay, Brand Name/Preferred Brand
$50 co-pay, Non-Preferred Brand
Dental Coverage

Plan pays the following for in-network charges:
Diagnostic/Preventive - 100%/No deductible
Routine - 80%/$50 deductible
Major - 50%/$50 deductible
Orthodontia - 50%/No deductible
Vision Coverage

Vision Service Plan (VSP):
Eye Exam - Every 12 months/$10 co-pay
Lenses - Every 24 months/$20 co-pay
Frames - Every 24 months/No co-pay
Medical Contacts - $10 co-pay/Plan pays up to $210
Elective Contacts - Every 24 months/No co-pay/Plan pays up to $105
Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts

A cost-savings account of pre-tax dollars for approved medical expenses that are not covered by your insurance plan, for you and your dependents. Get reimbursed for daycare expenses with the dependent care FSA.

Company Term Paid Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D)

Company-paid Life and AD&D equivalent to one times your base annual salary (rounded to the next highest $1,000).

La Petite Academy Daycare Discount

Receive a 10% discount on La Petite Academy Tuition rate for children 2 to 12 years of age.

Adoption Assistance

Reimbursement for adoption fees up to $8,000 per adopted child. Eligibility criteria: work at least 32 hours per week and have been employed by Pilot for one year.

EricLykins's picture

"If Karl and a lot of

"If Karl and a lot of Republicans want to call the elections already, they ought to break out that 'Mission Accomplished' banner." -- David Plouffe, appearing on ABC's This Week, with Karl Rove.

sugarfatpie's picture

Haslam lost my vote a long

Haslam lost my vote a long time ago, but now he's really got me pondering what kind of damage he could do to the state as gov.

WhitesCreek's picture

Do ALL Republicans just make

Do ALL Republicans just make s*** up? Is that a prerequisite?

I'm starting to fear that haslam is more of an empty vessel than I thought. Either that or even worse willing to let himself be used as one. At least Zach doesn't know any better.

Factchecker's picture

...the company provides

...the company provides medical and dental benefits at modest cost to full-time employees.

So their salaries go from what to what? And what percentage are "full-time"?

michael kaplan's picture

those are, indeed, the

those are, indeed, the questions to ask.

bill young's picture

Debate I'd like to see

Jim Cooper & Bill Haslam debating the health care bill that the President will sign into law today.

Read Congressman Cooper's floor statement on the health care bill:

www.cooper.house.gov/

And contrast Congressman Cooper's statement with Mayor Haslam's letter linked in the post.

michael kaplan's picture

just for the record

here's an excerpt from what cooper said:

"I will vote YES on health care reform. I join Vanderbilt University and every single Nashville hospital including St. Thomas, Centennial, Meharry/Nashville General, Summit, Skyline and Southern Hills in supporting this legislation. I join the majority of local doctors and nurses in their support of the bill. I join the Catholic Health Association and 59,000 Catholic Sisters to protect the lives of the thousands of people who, without this bill, will die this year because they lack quality health insurance."

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