By Governor Phil Bredesen

Every person in America has felt the pinch when it comes to health care and the costs associated with keeping themselves and their families healthy.

That pinch may be felt in the cost of premiums subtracted from your paycheck every two weeks; or in the frustrating process of securing affordable insurance when your company doesn’t offer it; or the basic inability to pay for coverage even if you have access in the first place.

We’ve all felt the pinch in Tennessee. And we’re not alone. The skyrocketing cost of health care is a national problem that deserves a national solution. Unfortunately, that day – when America comes together to address the issue of health care costs from a national perspective – has not yet arrived.

But as Governor of this state, I cannot in good conscience stand by and wait for the folks in Washington to act on a problem that today impacts the lives and livelihood of every hardworking man and woman in America. That’s why, earlier this year, I presented to the General Assembly my plan for what we can do here in Tennessee to offer a helping hand to our citizens – folks who work for modest wages, for small businesses, for themselves.

My proposal, which I call Cover Tennessee, is a modern, fiscally cautious, down-to-earth approach. It’s not the “end-all, be-all” solution to our problem. It is not another big government entitlement program. It is not TennCare part 2. What it is instead is a starting point that, if we’re successful, will allow us to grow step-by-step in a fiscally responsible way.

Cover Tennessee, at its most basic, is a partnership between the state, individuals, and small business that is rooted in two core principles: affordability and portability.

First, affordability. To me, that means no more than $100 a month for an individual. We plan a benefit package that has a total cost on average of about $150 a month. Of that, the state will pay $50. Where an employer is willing to contribute