NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Lawmakers, and civic leaders, gathered Monday morning to try and make another push to pass Insure Tennessee in the state legislature.
Insure Tennessee is Republican Governor Bill Haslam's plan to use available federal money to provide nearly 300,000 Tennesseans with health care coverage.
The plan did not make it out of the Republican-led State Senate's last legislative session.
"This is an important issue for our state, and almost everybody is for this, except our state legislature," said U.S. Representative Jim Cooper from Nashville.
Monday morning a bi-partisan group came together to rally support for Insure Tennessee. They feel after the U.S Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act, Tennessee needs to move forward with Insure Tennessee.
"I don't think it matters if we do it in a special session, or a regular session, what matters is we start taking action now. We've waited long enough. The Supreme Court decision confirms this is going to be the law of the land for a long time," said State Senator Jeff Yarbro.
The President and CEO of St. Thomas Health said Insure Tennessee is about more than saving hospitals money. Karen Springer said it provides preventative care that will save lives, as well as save money.
"They can go to a doctor and have access to that care. They can go to a clinic, that they can go to the specialist they need, before they even need us as hospitals," said Springer.
Supporters said Tennessee loses $328,000 each day it does not have a plan in place. That's about $1.2 billion a year.
Nashville Mayor Karl Dean said there are nearly 30,000 people in the city without health care coverage. He said Insure Tennessee will make a big difference in the bottom line at the city's safety-net hospital.
"General Hospital faces additional economic challenges, something that also applies to rural Tennessee. Rural hospitals particularly have problems," Dean explained.
Congressman Cooper is hopeful President Obama's visit to Nashville this Wednesday will put health care in the spotlight.
"Wherever the President goes there's a lot of publicity. I hope he'll highlight important issues that face our nation, including health care," Cooper said.
A call made to Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey's office for comment on the renewed push to revive Insure Tennessee was not returned.
