Healthcare

died · Tennessee · House Apr 29, 2025

HB 927: Insurance, Health, Accident - As enacted, clarifies that excepted benefits are not part of a requirement to provide coverage for a specific person, provider, treatment, service, condition, or disease, unless coverage of such excepted benefits is expressly required by law. - Amends TCA Title 56.

HB 927 clarifies that certain health insurance benefits (like dental or vision coverage, called "excepted benefits") do not need to be included in standard health insurance plans unless state law explicitly requires them. This affects health insurance providers and policyholders in Tennessee by removing an obligation to cover these specific benefits as part of standard coverage. The bill specifies that excepted benefits are exempt from requirements to cover specific people, providers, treatments, or conditions unless mandated by law. It applies to new or renewed insurance policies on or after July 1, 2025.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareRemoves obligation for insurers to cover dental/vision (excepted benefits) in standard plans unless explicitly required by law, restricting mandatory coverage scope.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance

Track

died · Tennessee · House May 18, 2026

HB 398: Death - As enacted, authorizes, as of January 1, 2027, a licensed paramedic to make an actual determination and pronouncement of death; makes related changes. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 29; Title 33; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

HB 398 extends the time that Tennessee licensing boards have to respond to the Department of Health from 30 to 45 days when the department requests information about actions taken against prescribers with unusual controlled substance prescribing patterns. This includes prescribers identified as statistical outliers, top prescribers, or high-risk prescribers of controlled substances. The bill directly affects how quickly the Department of Health can monitor prescriber behavior and the timeline for licensing boards to provide updates. The amendment applies to multiple sections of Tennessee law related to health and professional licensing.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareExtends licensing board response time from 30 to 45 days for monitoring high-risk prescribers, delaying public health interventions and weakening oversight of controlled substance prescribing patterns.85% confidence

Track

in committee · Tennessee · Senate Apr 28, 2025

SB 421: Opioids - As enacted, clarifies that a physician licensed in this state is the only healthcare provider authorized to prescribe a buprenorphine product for a FDA-approved use in recovery or medication-assisted treatment; revises criteria for providers not licensed in this state to prescribe a buprenorphine product for the treatment of opioid use disorder. - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 41; Title 53 and Title 63.

This bill restricts buprenorphine prescriptions for opioid addiction treatment to Tennessee-licensed physicians only. It creates a limited exception allowing out-of-state healthcare providers working in state or county jails to prescribe under strict conditions: requiring DEA registration, employment at correctional facilities, and adherence to approved treatment protocols. The law takes effect July 1, 2025. It directly affects prescribing practices in correctional facilities and general medical settings by clarifying who may legally prescribe these medications.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareRestricts buprenorphine prescribing to Tennessee-licensed physicians only, limiting provider access for opioid treatment and restricting patient options beyond narrow jail exceptions.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Substance Abuse

Track

in committee · Tennessee · House Apr 8, 2025

HB 584: Hospitals and Health Care Facilities - As enacted, extends by four years to June 30, 2029, the current 125-bed limitation on the number of new nursing home beds for which the health facilities commission may issue a certificate of need per fiscal year. - Amends TCA Section 68-11-1619.

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.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareExtends 125-bed annual cap on nursing home expansions, maintaining restrictions on new facility capacity and limiting patient access to nursing home beds.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care

Track

signed · Tennessee · House May 15, 2026

HB 754: Health Care - As enacted, revises law relative to gender clinics and related services. - Amends TCA Title 1; Title 4; Title 33; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

HB 754 requires gender clinics receiving state funding and insurance providers covering gender transition procedures to also offer and cover detransition services (medical or mental health care to reverse or manage effects of transition). It applies specifically to state-funded clinics and insurers, mandating they report detailed statistics on gender transition procedures to the Tennessee Department of Health. The reporting includes patient demographics, procedure types, medications, and diagnoses - while excluding personally identifiable health information. Data must be submitted monthly and compiled into an annual public report starting in 2025. The bill does not restrict access to gender transition care but adds transparency and service parity requirements.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareMandates detransition coverage for state-funded clinics/insurers covering gender transition, restricting provider flexibility and expanding regulatory burden on gender healthcare services.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health

signed · Tennessee · Senate Apr 8, 2025

SB 577: TennCare - As enacted, makes revisions regarding determining when the annual coverage assessment is implemented and imposed; sets limits on the expenditures for directed payments to hospitals in certain circumstances. - Amends TCA Title 71, Chapter 5.

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.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesSets limits on hospital expenditures under TennCare, restricting government spending as a fiscal management measure.85% confidence ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareBill imposes limits on hospital payments under TennCare, restricting program expenditures and reducing funding for healthcare services.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals

in committee · Tennessee · Senate Feb 12, 2025

SB 692: Public Health - As introduced, requires the attorney general to report to the speaker of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives certain information regarding violations of the prohibition against using medical procedures to enable a minor to identify with, or live as, a purported identity inconsistent with the minor's sex or to treat purported discomfort or distress from discordance between the minor's sex and asserted identity. - Amends TCA Title 9; Title 14; Title 28; Title 29; Title 33; Title 34; Title 36; Title 37; Title 39; Title 40; Title 49; Title 50; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

SB 692 requires Tennessee's Attorney General to annually report to legislative leaders (starting March 1, 2026) on violations of existing restrictions on medical procedures for minors related to gender identity. The report must include: (1) the number of violations reported to the Attorney General, (2) actions taken against healthcare providers who violated these rules, and (3) civil penalties collected. This bill directly affects the Attorney General's office (as the reporting entity) and healthcare providers who may perform restricted procedures. It does not change the underlying medical restrictions but adds transparency requirements for tracking enforcement.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareEnforces restrictions on gender-related medical procedures for minors, requiring reporting on violations of existing limits to healthcare access for this population.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Health

Track

signed · Tennessee · Senate Apr 8, 2025

SB 1063: Insurance Companies, Agents, Brokers, Policies - As enacted, removes the requirement that a provider notify a patient of communication between the provider and a health insurance entity or healthcare facility concerning additional information needed to process a prior authorization request for the patient; removes the requirement that an utilization review agent notify the enrollee and the provider or healthcare facility when additional information is needed from the enrollee, provider, or healthcare facility to make a determination on the request for prior authorization. - Amends TCA Title 56 and Title 63, Chapter 1.

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.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareRemoves patient notification requirements for prior authorization, potentially delaying care access by reducing transparency between insurers and patients.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance

signed · Tennessee · House Apr 28, 2025

HB 1198: Drugs, Prescription - As enacted, adds mandating the use of biosimilar drugs as a cost-saving measure the bureau of TennCare may implement; adds that a health carrier, health benefit plan, or utilization review organization may require a patient to try a biosimilar product prior to providing coverage for the equivalent branded prescription drug; requires the TennCare pharmacy advisory committee to consider as a factor the use of biosimilar drugs in the committee's recommendation to the bureau of TennCare on any drugs to be added to the state preferred drug list. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 53; Title 56; Title 68 and Title 71.

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.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareMandates biosimilar trial before branded drug coverage, restricting immediate access to branded medications and limiting patient choice per bill language.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Prescription Drugs

signed · Tennessee · Senate Apr 8, 2025

SB 515: Hospitals and Health Care Facilities - As enacted, extends by four years to June 30, 2029, the current 125-bed limitation on the number of new nursing home beds for which the health facilities commission may issue a certificate of need per fiscal year. - Amends TCA Section 68-11-1619.

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.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareExtends 125-bed cap on nursing home expansions, restricting facility growth and limiting patient access to new beds per current policy.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care