Tennessee Governor's Push for Obamacare Defeated in Legislature

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam’s push to expand health care to more than 200,000 low-income residents was defeated as lawmakers rejected accepting money from the federal government for the plan.

Haslam, a Republican, called the legislature into a special session this week to consider a proposal to expand Medicaid under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. The governor’s plan, which he calls Insure Tennessee, was voted down Wednesday, 7-4, by a committee of the Republican-led Senate.

Tennessee is among states where Republicans have debated expanding public health-care programs under President Barack Obama’s law. Wyoming, Idaho and Florida are also considering Medicaid expansions.

The Republican opposition left many low-income Americans still without coverage even as more than 15 million received benefits under the law. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states can’t be forced to add to their Medicaid programs.

Twenty-eight states have opted to expand them, including 10 with Republican governors.