HB 1158 would allow TennCare enrollees in Part A of the Katie Beckett program (children with disabilities requiring long-term care) to use their allocated funds for home and community-based services through health reimbursement arrangements. The bill requires the TennCare director to take necessary actions, including seeking federal waiver amendments, to enable this option. It directly affects families enrolled in the Katie Beckett program who currently access care funding through traditional methods. The policy change aims to provide greater flexibility in how these funds are utilized for care services.
HB 195 establishes separate reimbursement rates for ambulance services under Tennessee's TennCare program. Urban ambulance providers will be reimbursed at 67.5% of Medicare rates, while rural ambulance providers will receive 100% of Medicare rates for services to TennCare recipients. The bill also authorizes emergency medical equipment grants for for-profit rural ambulance service providers. These changes directly affect ambulance companies operating in rural or urban areas that bill TennCare. The policy aims to address cost disparities between service areas while maintaining existing billing frameworks.
SB 1377, the Voluntary Portable Benefit Plan Act, allows businesses to voluntarily contribute to portable benefit plans for independent contractors. These plans, administered by third-party providers chosen by the contractor, cover health, disability, unemployment, life insurance, and retirement benefits. Contributions can be made directly by the business or by withholding a portion of the contractor’s pay, but only with a clear written opt-in agreement and the ability to opt out at any time. The bill amends Tennessee law to ensure these contributions cannot be used to determine a worker’s employment classification as an employee or independent contractor.
HB 62 authorizes Tennessee athletic trainers to use dry needling for preventing, treating, and rehabilitating athletic injuries, directly affecting licensed athletic trainers in the state. The bill requires the Board of Athletic Trainers to establish minimum competency standards that practitioners must demonstrate to safely perform dry needling. It clarifies that this practice does not constitute acupuncture under existing law. The policy change expands athletic trainers' scope of practice with specific safety safeguards, effective March 28, 2025.
SB 569 prevents pharmacies from charging administrative fees for hormonal contraceptives when a patient's insurance covers the cost and includes pharmacy benefits. It directly affects insured patients seeking hormonal contraceptives and pharmacists who previously might have charged such fees. The bill amends Tennessee law to remove language allowing pharmacies to require these fees, ensuring patients covered by insurance do not face additional costs. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, and applies to all pharmacies in Tennessee.
SB 174 amends Tennessee law to update requirements for surgical assistants seeking board registration. It adds the American Board of Surgical Assistants (ABSA) as an accepted credentialing body alongside the National Commission for Certification of Surgical Assistants, allowing applicants to maintain current ABSA credentials. The bill also removes the December 31, 2019, deadline for applicants to register based on practical experience, making registration more flexible. This change directly affects surgical assistants in Tennessee seeking state licensure, effective March 25, 2025. The law modifies Tennessee Code Annotated § 63-6-219(b)(1) and (b)(3).
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 1000 modifies Tennessee's TennCare program by shortening the deadline for implementing the annual coverage assessment from seven to five days. This change directly affects the TennCare program and hospitals receiving directed payments, as it streamlines the timeline for assessing coverage. The bill's key provision is the specific deadline adjustment in TCA Title 71, Chapter 5, Section 71-5-2005(d)(2)(D). The bill became law as Public Chapter 115 on April 8, 2025.
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.
