Haslam Announces Extensions for Cancelled Health Insurance Policies

NASHVILLE – Gov. Bill Haslam today announced that the Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) will permit insurers to provide Tennesseans who lost coverage with additional options. 

The one-year extension comes after the president announced late last week that state insurance commissioners could allow health care insurers to extend current plans that would otherwise be cancelled in 2014.

“Tennesseans should be able to keep the health care coverage that they were promised they could keep,” Haslam said.  “To have an insurance market with a variety of options is good for consumers and good for Tennessee.”

After gathering input and information from stakeholders across the state and working to analyze the impact of granting one-year extensions, TDCI Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak recommended allowing the policy extensions to mitigate any gaps in coverage that may have occurred as a result of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

“We are allowing one-year extensions, however, it is at the discretion of Tennessee insurance providers to determine whether it is feasible to offer those previously cancelled policies,” McPeak said. “It is important that we have a diverse insurance market and that we’re providing Tennesseans with plans that are the best fit in terms of benefits offered and cost.” 

Consumers with questions about the status of their policies should contact their insurance provider.

Individuals with insurance questions or concerns can call the state’s Consumer Insurance Services (CIS) Division within TDCI.  CIS provides free insurance guidance and can be reached at 1-800-342-4029.

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