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HB0015 • 2026

TennCare

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4 and Title 71, Chapter 5, relative to expanding medicaid to provide sickle cell treatment.

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Love, Akbari
Last action
2025-03-19
Official status
Action def. in Insurance Committee to First Cal. 2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Expanding Medicaid for Sickle Cell Treatment

This bill allows Tennessee's governor to expand Medicaid coverage specifically for people with sickle cell disease.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows the governor of Tennessee to make Medicaid cover more people who have sickle cell disease.
  • Requires the governor to follow federal rules when expanding Medicaid.
  • Gives the governor permission to talk with the federal government about how to set up this new Medicaid coverage.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People in Tennessee with sickle cell disease
  • The state of Tennessee and its Medicaid program

Terms To Know

Medicaid
A government health insurance program for people who have low income or disabilities.
Sickle Cell Disease
An illness that causes red blood cells to become crescent-shaped, leading to pain and other serious health problems.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how much it will cost or where the money will come from.
  • It is unclear if this expansion will be approved by federal authorities.

Bill History

  1. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Health and Welfare Committee

  2. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Insurance Committee to First Cal. 2026

  3. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/26/2025

  4. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  5. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Insurance Committee for 3/19/2025

  6. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Insurance Committee to 3/19/2025

  7. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Health and Welfare Committee to 3/19/2025

  8. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Insurance Committee for 3/12/2025

  9. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/12/2025

  10. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  11. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Insurance Committee

  12. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Tenncare Subcommittee for 3/4/2025

  13. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Health and Welfare Committee

  14. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  15. 2025-01-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  16. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Tenncare Subcommittee

  17. 2025-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Insurance Committee

  18. 2025-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C held on desk, pending appointment of Standing Committees

  19. 2025-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  20. 2024-11-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 501
By Akbari

HOUSE BILL 15
By Love

HB0015
000462
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4 and
Title 71, Chapter 5, relative to expanding medicaid
to provide sickle cell treatment.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 71-5-126, is amended by deleting the
section and substituting:
The governor is authorized to expand medicaid eligibility solely for the purpose of
providing treatment for a patient with a diagnosis of sickle cell disease in accordance
with the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Pub. L. No. 111-148). The
governor is authorized to negotiate with the federal centers for medicare and medicaid
services with respect to the terms of medicaid expansion for such purpose.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.