HB 870 prohibits insurers, pharmacy benefits managers, and third-party administrators from altering health plan coverage terms based on whether a patient qualifies for financial or product assistance for prescription drugs. The bill requires insurers to calculate enrollees' out-of-pocket costs using standard methods, including amounts paid by others on the enrollee's behalf, and explicitly bans conditioning coverage on drug assistance availability. It directly affects health plan enrollees and the entities managing prescription drug benefits in Tennessee. The law applies to health plans entered into, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, and amends multiple sections of Tennessee's health insurance code.
HB 201 requires Tennessee's TennCare program to reimburse ambulance services at specific rates: 67.5% of Medicare's rate for emergency transports and 100% for nonemergency transports. It directly affects public and private ambulance providers operating in Tennessee that bill for services to TennCare recipients. The bill amends Tennessee law to set these reimbursement levels based on existing Medicare payment standards for participating providers. This policy change ensures ambulance services receive minimum payment rates aligned with federal Medicare benchmarks. The bill is currently under review by the Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee.
HB 179 modifies Tennessee's criminal abortion law by adding exceptions that exempt certain abortions from criminal prosecution. It specifies that performing an abortion is not a crime if it is necessary to protect the pregnant person's physical or mental health, or if the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest (as defined in Tennessee law). The bill amends Title 39, Chapter 15 of Tennessee Code, reclassifying such abortions as non-criminal under these specific circumstances. This change takes effect July 1, 2025, directly affecting licensed physicians performing abortions and pregnant individuals in these defined situations.
House Joint Resolution 91 is a symbolic resolution expressing the Tennessee General Assembly's support for the SREB Crisis Recovery Network. It directly supports Tennessee schools, districts, and postsecondary institutions by endorsing a regional network that provides long-term, specialized counseling services after crises like natural disasters, school shootings, or public emergencies. The resolution recognizes that schools often lack sustained mental health resources, especially in rural areas, and highlights the network’s role in deploying trained counselors to aid recovery for students, teachers, and communities over extended periods. This is a non-binding statement of support, not a law imposing new requirements.
This bill would allow certain licensed psychologists in Tennessee to independently prescribe medications for mental health conditions after meeting specific training and certification requirements. It directly affects doctoral-level psychologists who complete a post-doctoral master's program in clinical psychopharmacology, pass a national prescribing exam, and complete a one-year fellowship with 100 patient evaluations under supervision. Key provisions require 450 patient contact hours in training, a master's degree covering neurosciences and pharmacology, and verification by the Tennessee Board of Examiners in Psychology. The board would issue an "advanced certificate to prescribe" for independent authority, expanding psychologists' scope to include prescribing psychotropic medications without physician oversight.
SB 402 prohibits healthcare providers from reporting a patient's medical debt to credit bureaus and bans credit bureaus from including medical debt in consumer credit reports. It directly affects patients (preventing medical debt from damaging credit scores), healthcare providers (who can no longer report such debt to bureaus), and credit bureaus (which must remove existing medical debt records). The law takes effect July 1, 2025, covering all medical debt from healthcare services, though providers may still report to debt collectors. Violations are enforced under Tennessee's Consumer Protection Act, with remedies available through the Attorney General's office.
HB 310 creates a legal presumption that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosed in law enforcement officers or emergency medical responders (like EMTs and paramedics) was incurred while performing job duties, making it automatically eligible for workers' compensation coverage. This applies to those diagnosed after responding to specific incidents, shifting the burden to employers to prove otherwise. The bill amends Tennessee workers' compensation laws (TCA Title 7, Chapter 51 and Title 50, Chapter 6) to explicitly include these professions under the presumption, removing prior exclusions of "firefighter" language. It directly affects first responders who develop PTSD in the line of duty, streamlining their access to benefits starting July 1, 2025.
HB 782 creates a new pilot PACE (Programs of All-Inclusive Care for Elderly) program in one Tennessee grand division without an existing PACE program as of 2024, while allowing current PACE providers in counties with a 2020 census population of 366,200-366,300 to expand into contiguous counties meeting specific population thresholds (12,700-12,800, 32,800-32,875, or 108,600-108,700). It requires applicants to submit service area maps, market analyses proving unmet need, and CMS compliance certifications, and mandates annual reports to legislative leaders. The bill directly affects elderly Tennesseans eligible for PACE care (meeting federal CMS criteria) and PACE providers seeking to expand services. It became effective May 21, 2025, after Governor approval.
HB 717 creates the "Caring for Caregivers Act," establishing a pilot program that provides financial grants to family caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia. It directly affects caregivers who provide unpaid care to eligible family members living in private homes (not facilities) and incur eligible expenses like home modifications, medical equipment, or respite care. The program offers up to $6,000 annually per caregiver, with eligibility based on household income not exceeding $37,000 (adjusted annually for inflation) and requiring the care recipient to need assistance with at least two activities of daily living. The pilot runs from July 2025 through December 2028, funded through initial appropriations and dedicated state funds.
HB 783 authorizes Tennessee local governments (counties, cities, or metropolitan areas) to regulate sober living homes - residences for adults recovering from substance abuse without formal treatment - to ensure they comply with federal fair housing and disability laws. Key provisions include requiring these homes to be at least 1,000 feet from schools/daycares, allowing local zoning rules, and mandating clinical referrals from licensed healthcare providers before residency. The law directly affects sober living home operators, residents, and local governments implementing these rules. It becomes effective immediately upon the governor’s signature (May 21, 2025), updating Tennessee housing codes to balance local oversight with federal civil rights protections.
