SB 440 clarifies that standalone dental and vision insurance plans (known as "excepted benefits") are not required to cover specific medical treatments, services, or conditions unless state law explicitly mandates it. This change directly affects health insurance plans offering these stand-alone benefits, removing an implied obligation to cover certain medical needs under those plans. The law applies to all new or renewed insurance policies issued on or after July 1, 2025, ensuring clarity for insurers and policyholders. It does not alter existing coverage requirements for standard health insurance plans.
SB 299 amends Tennessee's medical cannabis commission membership requirements to include a patient caregiver (or former caregiver of a deceased patient) and a subject matter expert in cannabis cultivation, processing, distribution, or medical prescription. The bill also updates the commission's reporting duties to explicitly allow it to provide policy recommendations to the legislature alongside its findings. These changes, effective April 15, 2025, directly affect how the commission is structured and the scope of its advice to lawmakers on medical cannabis policy.
HB 1198 requires Tennessee health insurers and TennCare to allow patients to try biosimilar drugs (cost-effective copies of brand-name medications) before covering the original branded drug. It amends state law to permit health carriers to mandate a biosimilar trial for equivalent branded prescriptions, removing prior requirements for generic drug trials. The bill also directs TennCare’s pharmacy committee to consider biosimilar drugs when recommending medications for the state’s preferred drug list. These changes aim to reduce prescription drug costs by increasing biosimilar adoption, as stated in the bill’s legislative findings.
SB 1063 removes two notification requirements related to prior authorization for healthcare services in Tennessee. It eliminates the requirement for healthcare providers to notify patients when communicating with insurance companies about missing information for prior authorization, and it removes the requirement for insurance companies to notify patients when additional information is needed from the patient or provider. The bill directly affects healthcare providers, insurance companies, and patients by reducing administrative steps in the prior authorization process. These changes amend Tennessee Code sections 63-1-171 and 56-6-705, effective April 3, 2025.
SB 577 amends Tennessee's TennCare program by shortening the time frame for implementing the annual coverage assessment from seven days to five days. It also establishes limits on hospital payments under specific circumstances, directly affecting TennCare administrators and participating hospitals. The bill changes the timing requirement in Tennessee Code Annotated Section 71-5-2005(d)(2)(D) and became effective April 3, 2025, after being signed by the Governor.
HB 584 extends the expiration date of Tennessee's annual limit on new nursing home beds from June 30, 2025, to June 30, 2029. The bill maintains the current cap of 125 new nursing home beds per fiscal year that the Health Facilities Commission can approve through its certificate of need process. This change directly affects nursing home operators seeking to expand their facilities and the commission responsible for reviewing such requests. The bill does not alter the 125-bed limit but only extends the period during which it remains in effect.
HB 395, the "Tennessee Genomic Security and End Organ Harvesting Act," prohibits Tennessee health insurers from covering organ transplants or post-transplant care if the organ was sourced from China or procured through sale/donation originating in China. It also bans medical and research facilities from using genetic sequencing equipment or software produced by entities linked to "foreign adversaries" (specifically targeting China per the bill's context), requiring replacement within 180 days. Additionally, the bill mandates that all genetic sequencing data must be stored within the United States, with remote access from outside the country prohibited without approval from the state health commissioner. The law takes effect on January 1, 2026, directly affecting health insurers, hospitals, and research facilities operating in Tennessee.
