SB 428 requires insurers offering health insurance plans to Tennessee state employees to treat non-opioid pain medications (FDA-approved for pain treatment) equally with opioids on their preferred drug list, ensuring they are not disadvantaged in coverage or discouraged. It also mandates separate reimbursement for healthcare providers and hospitals when non-opioid pain treatments are provided to covered employees. The law applies immediately upon FDA approval of a non-opioid drug and takes effect July 1, 2025. This directly affects insurers and state employee health plans under Tennessee Code.
HB 959 updates Tennessee's licensure rules for marriage and family therapists. It allows students in accredited programs to use titles like "marital therapy intern" while supervised, and clarifies that associate license holders must use "associate licensed marriage and family therapist" or "AMFT" (not implying full licensure). The bill creates specific pathways for associate licensure, requiring a 9-month exam deadline and supervised practice under approved supervisors, while defining "approved supervisor" to include AAMFT-approved professionals. These changes directly affect therapy students, trainees, and practitioners seeking licensure in Tennessee.
HB 843 declares Perry County Community Hospital in Linden and Decatur County General Hospital in Parsons as "necessary providers" of healthcare services for federal critical access hospital (CAH) designation eligibility under Section 1820 of the Social Security Act. This enables both hospitals to qualify for federal CAH status, which provides crucial financial support and resources to sustain operations in rural areas. The bill directly affects these two specific hospitals, ensuring they can access federal benefits to continue serving vulnerable rural communities in Perry and Decatur counties. It requires the Tennessee Department of Health and Health Facilities Commission to facilitate the federal designation process.
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 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 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.
SB 522 requires Tennessee's TennCare program to cover diagnosis (including genetic testing) and treatment for Kleefstra syndrome - a rare genetic disorder causing developmental delays, intellectual disability, and physical symptoms - on the same terms as coverage for autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, and similar genetic conditions. This mandate applies directly to TennCare enrollees diagnosed with Kleefstra syndrome, ensuring access to therapies, medications, and interventions aimed at improving quality of life. The bill updates TennCare coverage rules to include this condition under existing standards for comparable genetic disorders. It takes effect July 1, 2025.
HB 498 creates an advisory task force to review and recommend annual adjustments to state reimbursement rates paid to healthcare agencies in Tennessee. The task force, composed of 6 appointed members (3 by each legislative chamber, representing different health professions) and ex-officio agency representatives, will focus on ensuring rates cover agency costs, staff salaries, and administrative needs. It must submit annual recommendations by August 1, starting in 2026, to state officials and legislative committees, considering factors like provider costs, staff compensation, and workforce shortages. The bill directly affects healthcare agencies providing state-funded services, aiming to make reimbursement rates more adequate without changing existing funding levels.
SB 152 allows patients with severe chronic diseases or terminal illnesses to access investigational stem cell treatments (adult stem cell therapies still in clinical trials and not yet FDA-approved) after their doctors confirm other FDA-approved treatments aren't viable. It requires Tennessee’s health commissioner to create rules listing qualifying medical conditions and mandates doctors to document that all standard treatments were considered before recommending these experimental therapies. The bill also protects physicians from license penalties for following these guidelines and prohibits government interference with patient access. This directly affects patients with qualifying conditions and their treating physicians in Tennessee.
