A WELCOME DEATH

Gov. Phil Bredesen announced yesterday that the state plans to dissolve TennCare. Up to 430,000 people will be cut from the financially troubled supplemental Medicaid program barring a reprieve.

The governor held out some hope for saving the program and announced that he will try for seven more days to work out an agreement with legal advocates who have won several court decisions about the level of health care the state must provide to TennCare enrollees. But he said it was unlikely an agreement could be reached with the advocates in the next seven days. An attorney for TennCare recipients, who accused the Democrat first-term governor of making advocates into "scapegoats," also was pessimistic about a last-minute deal.

Bredesen ran for governor two years ago with a promise to fix TennCare, whose $7.8 billion price tag would mushroom in coming years, or to end it. TennCare provides health-care coverage for the poor, uninsured and disabled and covers 1.3 million Tennesseans, or about 22 percent of the state population.

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For greatest efficiency, lowest cost and maximum choice, ALL hospitals and health insurance schemes should be privately owned and run -- with government-paid vouchers for the very poor and minimal regulation.

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