Tenn. House Republicans announce plan to address state's healthcare needs

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee House Republicans have announced a proposal to address healthcare needs in the state.

Republicans announced their CARE plan on Thursday – an acronym that stands for Consumerism, increasing access, improving rural health systems and empowering patients.

Legislators said the plan would allow consumers to make their own decisions “instead of insurance companies or the government.”

Some of their ideas include: recruiting more physicians to practice in Tennessee, improve drug pricing, increase rural access to healthcare and adopt federal provisions like the Katie Beckett waiver – which allows children with complex medical needs to be taken care of at home if they don’t qualify for Medicaid.

Republicans said their overall goal is to produce a plan that is “focused on the patient.”