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Tennessee state senator: Obamacare for my son, not for other Tennesseans!
The Tennessean reports:
Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, benefited from the Affordable Care Act by having his adult son enrolled on state benefits, but voted twice to keep Tennessee from using the federal health law to provide health coverage to poor people.
The law mandates that all employer-based plans allow workers to add coverage for their children up to age 26. Gardenhire adamantly disputed state documents obtained by The Tennessean that showed he had a child on the plan and hung up on a reporter Monday morning, but then called back to "eat crow," apologize and say that his son, Andrew, had been covered.
Gardenhire touched off the controversy about lawmaker benefits in February by denying he had coverage on the state plan in an exchange with Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville. The exchange led to The Tennessean requesting records detailing how many lawmakers receive state health insurance and the cost to taxpayers.
The law mandates that all employer-based plans allow workers to add coverage for their children up to age 26. Gardenhire adamantly disputed state documents obtained by The Tennessean that showed he had a child on the plan and hung up on a reporter Monday morning, but then called back to "eat crow," apologize and say that his son, Andrew, had been covered.
Gardenhire touched off the controversy about lawmaker benefits in February by denying he had coverage on the state plan in an exchange with Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville. The exchange led to The Tennessean requesting records detailing how many lawmakers receive state health insurance and the cost to taxpayers.
After denying in February he was covered by the state plan, Gardenhire corrected himself, just as he did on Monday about the family coverage. Gardenhire is a licensed insurance agent and a financial adviser for Morgan Stanley in Chattanooga.
His initial response to being asked Monday if he had a child on the plan: "I do not and never have had. You guys continually misprint information about me. I really don't appreciate it. I have never had a child on my insurance. Never. That is spelled with a capital N."
His initial response to being asked Monday if he had a child on the plan: "I do not and never have had. You guys continually misprint information about me. I really don't appreciate it. I have never had a child on my insurance. Never. That is spelled with a capital N."
Gardenhire twice helped keep legislators from having a floor vote on Insure Tennessee, striking down Gov. Bill Haslam's alternative to Medicaid expansion when he served on one committee during a special session and on another committee during the regular session.
This isn't the first time Gardenhire has made DU:
Gardenhire generated media attention after being videotaped in a Legislative Plaza hallway calling a constituent an a--hole. The constituent had yelled out a question about the senator's state health benefits.
There were plenty of threads about this incident.
