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HB0029 • 2026

Chiropractors

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 56, Chapter 7 and Title 63, relative to payment for services rendered by chiropractors.

Healthcare
Active

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

Sponsor
Cepicky, Taylor
Last action
2026-04-08
Official status
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The exact financial impact on the state's budget is not detailed beyond mentioning required expenditures but does not specify how these funds will be allocated or sourced.

Equal Payment for Chiropractic Services

This bill requires health insurance companies to pay chiropractors and medical doctors equally for similar services.

What This Bill Does

  • Prohibits health insurance entities from discriminating between a chiropractic physician and a medical doctor when calculating reimbursement amounts or methodologies for the same services.
  • Does not allow insurance companies to create special codes or payment methods just for chiropractic services that would lower payments.
  • Allows insurance companies to use national standards like RVUs (Relative Value Units) to determine fair payment amounts.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Health insurance companies
  • Chiropractors
  • Medical doctors

Terms To Know

RVUs (Relative Value Units)
A system used to measure the resources needed for medical services.
TennCare
The state's Medicaid program that provides health care coverage to low-income individuals and families.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not apply to TennCare, CoverKids, or insurance provided by the state or local governments.
  • Requires additional funding from federal and local sources as well as the General Fund of Tennessee.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Amendment 1-0 to HB0029

Plain English: The amendment changes references to 'chiropractor' in Tennessee law to 'chiropractic physician', and adds new rules for health insurance companies regarding how they pay chiropractic physicians compared to other doctors.

  • Changes the term 'chiropractor' to 'chiropractic physician' in certain sections of Tennessee's insurance laws.
  • Adds a new section requiring health insurance entities to treat chiropractic physicians equally with medical doctors when determining reimbursement for services listed in nationally recognized code books.
  • The amendment does not specify how existing policies will be affected before the effective date of July 1, 2025.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0225

Plain English: The amendment changes references to 'chiropractor' and 'chiropractors' in Tennessee law to 'chiropractic physician', and adds new rules for health insurance companies regarding reimbursement rates for services provided by chiropractic physicians.

  • Changes the term 'chiropractor' to 'chiropractic physician' throughout certain sections of Tennessee Code Annotated.
  • Adds a new subdivision (a)(3) that requires health insurance entities to treat chiropractic physicians equally with other licensed physicians when determining reimbursement rates for services listed in nationally recognized code books.
  • Specifies that the new rules do not apply to TennCare or CoverKids programs.
  • The amendment text does not specify all details about how health insurance entities must calculate reimbursement, leaving some aspects open to interpretation.
Amendment 2-0 to SB0225

Plain English: The amendment changes references to 'chiropractor' and 'chiropractors' in Tennessee law to 'chiropractic physician', and adds new rules for health insurance entities regarding reimbursement rates for services provided by chiropractic physicians.

  • Changes the term 'chiropractor' to 'chiropractic physician' throughout certain sections of Tennessee Code Annotated.
  • Adds a new subdivision (a)(3) that requires health insurance entities to treat chiropractic physicians equally with other licensed physicians when determining reimbursement rates for services listed in nationally recognized code books.
  • Specifies that the new rules do not apply to TennCare or CoverKids programs.
  • The amendment text does not specify all details about how health insurance entities must calculate reimbursement, leaving some aspects open to interpretation.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026

  2. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Ayes 8, Nays 1 PNV 0

  3. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 4/7/2026

  4. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  5. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/25/2026

  6. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Commerce and Labor Committee to 3/17/2026

  7. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/10/2026

  8. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Commerce and Labor Committee to 3/10/2026

  9. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/3/2026

  10. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  11. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Taken off notice for cal in s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee of Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  12. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Failed in Senate Commerce and Labor Committee

  13. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/26/2025

  14. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  15. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/25/2025

  16. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Commerce and Labor Committee to 3/25/2025

  17. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/18/2025

  18. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  19. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/18/2025

  20. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Commerce and Labor Committee to Final Calendar

  21. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  22. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Insurance Committee to 3/12/2025

  24. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/11/2025

  25. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  26. 2025-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  27. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Insurance Committee for 3/5/2025

  28. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  30. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Insurance Subcommittee for 2/26/2025

  31. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee

  32. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Insurance Subcommittee

  33. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  34. 2025-01-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  35. 2025-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Insurance Committee

  36. 2025-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C held on desk, pending appointment of Standing Committees

  37. 2025-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  38. 2025-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  39. 2024-12-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill prohibits health insurance entities from discriminating between a chiropractic
physician and a physician with respect to the methodology used to calculate reimbursement or the amount of reimbursement. A health insurance entity cannot attempt to circumvent this provision by creating a chiropractic-specific code or payment methodolo
g
y, although it does not limit the ability of a health insurance entity to utilize national uniform relative value units that account for the relative resources used in furnishing a service or procedure. However, this bill does not apply to TennCare, Cove
r
Kids, or insurance coverage provided by this state or local governments of this state.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 225
By Taylor

HOUSE BILL 29
By Cepicky

HB0029
000671
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 56,
Chapter 7 and Title 63, relative to payment for
services rendered by chiropractors.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 56-7-2404, is amended by deleting
the word "chiropractor" wherever it appears in subsection (a) and substituting "chiropractic
physician"; and is further amended by deleting the word "chiropractors" from subdivision (a)(2)
and substituting "chiropractic physicians".
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 56-7-2404(a), is amended by adding
the following new subdivision:
(3)
(A) When a health insurance entity is determining the amount of
reimbursement to be paid pursuant to subdivision (a)(1) or (2) for a service or
procedure that is identified and listed in a nationally recognized services and
procedures code book that is used by the health insurance entity, the health
insurance entity shall not discriminate between a chiropractic physician and a
physician licensed pursuant to title 63, chapter 6 or chapter 9, with respect to the
methodology used to calculate reimbursement or the amount of reimbursement.
A health insurance entity shall not attempt to circumvent this subdivision (a)(3) by
creating a chiropractic-specific code or payment methodology not listed in the
nationally recognized services and procedures code book used by the health
insurance entity for determining the amount of reimbursement.

- 2 - 000671

(B) This subdivision (a)(3) does not limit the ability of a health insurance
entity to utilize national uniform relative value units (RVUs) that account for the
relative resources used in furnishing a service or procedure.
(C) As used in this subdivision (a)(3):
(i) "Health insurance entity" has the same meaning as defined in
§ 56-7-109; and
(ii) "Nationally recognized services and procedures code book"
includes, but is not limited to, the American Medical Association's Current
Procedural Terminology (CPT) code book.
(D) This subdivision (a)(3) does not apply to:
(i) The TennCare program established under the Medical
Assistance Act of 1968, compiled in title 71, chapter 5, part 1, or a
successor medicaid program;
(ii) The CoverKids program established under the CoverKids Act
of 2006, compiled in title 71, chapter 3, part 11, or a successor program;
or
(iii) Insurance coverage provided by this state or local
governments of this state.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect on July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.