In fact, information compiled by the Tennessee Tenth Amendment Center seems to indicate Haslam planned to set up the state exchange all along. Tennessee accepted more than $9 million in federal funding earmarked for creation of a state exchange over the last two years. Federal dollars began flowing into theVolunteer State under Gov. Phil Bredesen and continued unabated under Haslam. According to informationlisted on the Healthcare.gov website, Tennessee received the following amounts:
- September 30, 2010 - $1,000,000 (State Planning Grant under Bredesen)
- November 29, 2011 - $1,560,220 (Establishment Grant Level One under Haslam)
- February 22, 2012 - $2,249,945 (Establishment Grant Level One under Haslam)
- May 16, 2012 - $4,300,000 (Establishment Grant Level One under Haslam)
Tennessee Tenth Amendment Center state chapter coordinator Lesley Swann says the fact that Haslam has continued to not only accept, but actively pursue, federal dollars directed toward creating a state exchange raises some serious questions.
In addition to the political questions surrounding Haslam’s acceptance of federal funding, his apparent trajectory also raises serious legal questions.
“Haslam has a major problem with the implementation of a state-run health care exchange in Tennessee,” Swann said. “Because one of the primary purposes of a state-run exchange under the PPACA is to determine who merits the tax credits and tax penalties associated with the act. It is clearly illegal for him to implement an exchange in Tennessee. Doing so would violate the protections from penalty set forth in the Health Freedom Act - the very Health Freedom Act he signed into law.”
