HB 2405 requires Tennessee state and local governments to provide fully paid health insurance coverage to the immediate families (spouses and dependent children) of law enforcement officers killed or suffering catastrophic injuries in the line of duty on or after January 1, 2020. The bill removes the previous two-year limit on this coverage and expands eligibility to include officers with qualifying catastrophic injuries, defined as permanent impairments meeting specific medical criteria (e.g., paralysis, severe burns, or brain/spinal cord injuries). It mandates that employers pay all premiums for these families and requires the state to reimburse local governments for the costs. This policy directly affects law enforcement officers' families and state/local government budgets, with the law taking effect July 1, 2026.
This bill prohibits Tennessee health insurers from downcoding claims - adjusting them to lower-cost procedure codes that prevent healthcare providers from receiving payment for actual services rendered. It creates the Tennessee Commission of Insurance Review to handle complaints and enforce these rules, with seven members including health professionals and insurance industry experts. The law applies to all health benefit plans (excluding accident, disability, or limited coverage), requiring insurers to pay providers based on the actual services performed. These changes aim to ensure fair reimbursement for medical services while establishing oversight for insurance practices.
HB 2503 reduces from 10 to 9 business days the time health insurance carriers must provide healthcare providers with their fee schedules after a written request. The bill requires insurers to deliver these fee schedules - either partial or full versions as requested - free of charge, in a standard spreadsheet format (like Microsoft Excel) to the provider's dedicated email address. This change directly affects healthcare providers who request fee schedules, aiming to streamline access to billing information under Tennessee law. The bill amends multiple sections of Tennessee Code related to health insurance but does not alter coverage or benefits.
SB 2575 prohibits Tennessee insurers from denying, conditioning, or charging higher rates for Medicare supplement policies to people under 65 who qualify for Medicare due to disability or end-stage renal disease (called "non-age eligible persons"). It requires insurers to offer these policies with the same benefits and pricing as for those 65+ if applicants meet specific criteria, such as applying within 60 days of their birthday or enrolling in Medicare Part B by 2027. Insurers must use a weighted average premium rate (based on all Medicare supplement policyholders aged 65+) for these applicants and cannot impose waiting periods or exclusions for preexisting conditions. The law takes effect January 1, 2027, applying to new or renewed policies after that date.
SB 2181 requires Tennessee state and local governments to provide fully paid health insurance to the immediate family members (spouses and children, including unborn children) of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty or suffering a catastrophic injury (as defined in the bill) on or after January 1, 2020. It removes a previous two-year limit on coverage duration and mandates that the state reimburse local governments for the full cost of providing this insurance. The bill expands existing coverage to include officers with catastrophic injuries (e.g., paralysis, severe burns, or brain injuries meeting SSDI criteria) and applies to both state and local law enforcement officers. The law takes effect on July 1, 2026.
HB 2619 prohibits Tennessee health insurance companies from using "downcoding" to reduce payments to healthcare providers. Downcoding occurs when insurers adjust a claim to a lower-cost procedure code, preventing providers from collecting full fees for services rendered - either from the insurer or the patient. The bill creates the Tennessee Commission of Insurance Review to handle complaints and enforce this rule. It directly affects healthcare providers (like doctors and hospitals) and health insurance entities operating in Tennessee by requiring full payment for covered services as defined in the bill. The law amends Tennessee insurance codes to clarify these requirements and definitions.
SB 2436 requires Tennessee health insurance companies to approve a healthcare provider’s credentialing application within two weeks when the provider relocates to a new practice group or facility that is already credentialed by the same insurer. This applies specifically to providers who were previously approved at their prior location and move to a new location within the insurer’s network. The bill creates a new rule (Section 56-7-1001(j)) that shortens the approval timeline for these specific relocation cases. It directly affects healthcare providers seeking to change practice locations within the same insurer’s network and the insurers themselves. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, for applications submitted on or after that date.
HB 2579 amends Tennessee law to require health insurance companies to provide healthcare providers with 65 days' notice - up from 60 days - before implementing any material changes to their provider manuals or reimbursement policies. This change directly affects healthcare providers who rely on timely notice to adjust billing, care coordination, and practice operations. The bill modifies Tennessee Code Annotated § 56-7-3302(a)(1) to extend the notice period, ensuring providers have slightly more time to prepare for insurer policy updates.
SB 2557 shortens the deadline for health insurance companies to provide fee schedules to healthcare providers from 10 to 9 business days after receiving a written request. The bill requires that fee schedules be delivered free of charge, in a standard digital format (like Microsoft Excel), and can be provided as either a partial or full version as requested by the provider. This change directly affects all health insurance carriers in Tennessee and healthcare providers who need timely access to billing information for administrative and billing purposes. The bill amends multiple sections of Tennessee's health insurance code to implement this time reduction.
SB 2550 would require health insurance companies in Tennessee to give healthcare providers 65 days' notice before making significant changes to their provider manuals or reimbursement policies, up from the current 60-day requirement. This change directly affects health insurance entities and the healthcare providers who rely on timely updates to billing and service agreements. The bill, pending before the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee, amends Tennessee law to extend the notice period without altering other insurance practices.
