CoverTN program officials have announced that new enrollment in the limited benefit health insurance program will suspend Dec. 31, 2009, as a result of reaching budget capacity.

Current members and participating businesses, as well as those who have been approved for effective coverage in January 2010, will be unaffected by the suspension. 

Any business or individual wishing to begin the enrollment process has until Nov. 30, 2009 to pre-qualify with the state, which can be done by visiting http://www.covertn.gov.

All businesses and individuals who pre-qualify for coverage must enroll with BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee by Dec. 31, 2009.

CoverTN limited benefits are designed to provide working Tennesseans and Tennesseans between jobs with low-cost coverage for basic medical service. These plans encourage regular doctors visits and preventive screenings, that help decrease the need for high-cost care in the future. Not to be confused as an inexpensive replacement for traditional PPO coverage, CoverTN simply helps previously uninsured Tennesseans lower the need for potential high-cost care in the future.

CoverTN plan benefits are very limited compared to traditional insurance. For instance, these plans do not have an out-of-pocket maximum, so they do not protect against the potential of catastrophic medical costs. In other words, there is no limit to the amount of medical bills a member might have to pay for a major illness or injury, such as disease treatment, or injuries sustained in an automobile accident for example.

CoverTN uses Network V. To see which providers participate in these programs, use the Find a Doctor tool on the right hand side of the page.