Heidi Alexander: “I thank the Senator from Alaska for her excellent remarks. I was pleased I was able to hear them. The Senator from…”

“I thank the Senator from Alaska for her excellent remarks. I was pleased I was able to hear them. The Senator from Alaska and the Senator from Massachusetts were at the hearing this morning when the head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services talked about the health care law. I thought the Senator from Alaska was especially cogent in pointing out the difficulties and the differences between those who live in Alaska and their inability to connect to the services in the new health care law. If I remember correctly, she said only three had been able to enroll and she pointed out the differences in time. I wish to spend a few minutes reflecting on what happened this morning and what I said to Ms. Tavenner, the administration's witness. I began by telling her a story, a story about 16,000 Tennesseans who have insurance through something called CoverTN, a low-cost, narrow coverage State program. ObamaCare is canceling their policies, those 16,000 policies. CoverTN apparently is an example of what the President has called ``bad apples,'' an insurance plan that Washington has decided isn't good enough for you. I recently heard from one of those Tennesseans whose policy will be cancelled on January 1. Her name is Emilie, and she is 39 years of age. She has lupus and lives in Middle Tennessee. She told me: I cannot keep my current plan because it does not meet the standards of coverage. This alone is a travesty. CoverTN has been a lifeline. . . .…”