The Legislature continues to move towards adjournment by the end of this month. This week, both the House Health Committee and Senate Health and Welfare Committee closed down for the session.

Two bills that have TMA support advanced this week:

SB1697/HB1944 by Senator Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) passed out of Senate Health and Welfare Committee this week. This bill requires the Department of Health to test for the presence of sickle cell trait as part of the newborn screening program and notify the parent if the results are positive. Individuals with sickle cell trait are carriers and can pass the sickle hemoglobin gene to their children, but typically will not show symptoms of sickle cell disease. The bill moves to the Senate floor calendar. It has already passed in the House.

SB435/HB484 by Representative Brock Martin (R-Huntingdon) passed the House floor this week 94-0. This bill requires a health benefit plan to provide coverage for biomarker testing for the purposes of diagnosis, treatment, appropriate management, or ongoing monitoring of an enrollee's disease or condition when the test is supported by medical and scientific evidence. It was amended last month to only include TennCare and State Employee Health Plans. The bill is set to be heard in Senate Commerce and Labor Committee on April 7.

TMA Opposed Bill Dies in Senate Committee

SB2108/HB1711 by Senator Dawn White (R-Murfreesboro) would have developed a process in which entities must compile and report data reflecting the total costs for the state providing services to persons who are not lawfully present in the state, including those who received care within the state’s healthcare system using data aggregated from all healthcare providers in the state. The bill passed out of a contentious House State and Local Government Committee this week, but was not heard in Senate State and Local Government before it adjourned, rendering the bill dead for this session. TMA had concerns regarding its potential effect on Project Access programs and the increased administrative burden taking away from the focus on the delivery of health care.

TMA Priority Legislation

One of TMA’s priority bills, the medical necessity determination bill, has been sent to the Governor.

As amended, SB1753/HB1770 by Sen. Ferrell Haile (R-Gallatin) and Rep. Brock Martin (R-Huntingdon) updates Tennessee statute governing medical practice to keep pace with emerging technologies and healthcare delivery models and clarifies that medical doctors and osteopathic physicians may determine the appropriateness of treatments or procedures for patient conditions. This bill will ensure that ALL physicians are governed by the same standard of care criteria when making medical necessity determinations.

TMA’s other two bills on Insurance Downcoding and Tenn Care Reimbursement Rates are set to be heard in the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee on April 7.