NASHVILLE (AP) - A task force appointed by Republican House Speaker Beth Harwell to come up with a plan to expand access to health care in Tennessee has met for the first time.

State Democratic Party Chairwoman Mary Mancini on Tuesday criticized the panel as a "political show" after Republicans last year rejected Gov. Bill Haslam's Insure Tennessee proposal to extend coverage to 280,000 low-income people in the state.

Harwell formed the task force earlier this month to propose what the Nashville Republican called conservative ideas like encouraging greater responsibility for enrollees, creating health savings accounts and providing more support for people trying to rejoin the workforce.

The panel made up of four Republican representatives was joined by Republican Sen. Richard Briggs of Knoxville and Democratic Rep. Karen Camper of Memphis.