By AP
NEW YORK, NY – Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen says a health care reform proposal in the U.S. Senate could cost the state more than $730 million. Bredesen spoke to reporters on Tuesday during a teleconference from New York where he met with all three national credit ratings agencies about the state's bonding rate. However, the governor ended up discussing the health care issue when a reporter asked how the proposed legislation would affect Tennessee. The $900-billion, 10-year measure seeks to expand health insurance coverage, impose new taxes and fees, and make major changes to Medicare and Medicaid. Bredesen estimated the proposal would cost the state about $735 million over roughly five years, with a "range of about $570 million at the low end to $1.2 billion at the upper end."