SB 138 requires the TennCare program to reimburse air ambulance services operating within Tennessee at a rate of at least 67.5% of the federal Medicare program's standard rate for participating providers. This directly affects public and private air ambulance companies with a Tennessee base that provide covered emergency or nonemergency transports to TennCare recipients. The bill mandates this reimbursement rate for all covered services, applying to transports occurring on or after the law's effective date. It amends Tennessee Code Sections 71-5-165 (Title 71) and related provisions in Title 68.
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.
SB 619 allows licensed healthcare providers in Tennessee who completed a peer assistance or treatment program following a disciplinary action (like a consent order) to petition their licensing board to remove public records about that action after 10 years. The bill requires the relevant board to review and approve such petitions before removing the information from public licensing websites. It also authorizes Tennessee's Division of Health Related Boards to create rules for implementing this process, following standard administrative procedures. This change directly affects healthcare providers seeking to have past disciplinary records removed from public view after meeting the 10-year waiting period.
SB 1305 extends Tennessee's CoverKids health insurance program for children by changing its expiration date from June 30, 2025, to June 30, 2030. This bill directly affects low-income children in Tennessee who qualify for the CoverKids program, ensuring continued access to health coverage. The key mechanism is amending Tennessee Code Annotated Section 71-3-1113 to update the program's termination date. The bill was signed into law on April 3, 2025, and became effective April 8, 2025.
SB 224 allows licensed athletic trainers in Tennessee to use dry needling as part of their care for athletic injuries, including prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation. The bill requires the Board of Athletic Trainers to establish minimum competency standards that practitioners must meet to perform dry needling. This change directly affects athletic trainers who currently cannot use dry needling without physician supervision under existing rules. The law amends Tennessee Code Sections 63-24-101 and 63-24-109 to formalize these provisions, effective July 1, 2025.
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 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 515 extends Tennessee's current limit of 125 new nursing home beds per fiscal year for which the health facilities commission may approve (via certificate of need) until June 30, 2029, instead of expiring in 2025. This directly affects nursing home facilities seeking to expand and the health facilities commission, which reviews and approves new bed applications. The key provision is a simple extension of the existing cap, not a change to the 125-bed limit. The bill became effective March 25, 2025, after being signed by the Governor.
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.
