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HB1158 • 2026

TennCare

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 71, Chapter 5, relative to TennCare.

Children Healthcare Parental Rights
Active

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

Sponsor
Lynn, Roberts
Last action
2025-04-09
Official status
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The exact number of children affected and specific financial impacts are not detailed in the provided sources.

TennCare Program Changes

This bill allows children in Part A of Tennessee's Katie Beckett Program to use their wraparound home- and community-based services funds through a health reimbursement arrangement.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the director of TennCare to take necessary actions, including seeking federal approval if needed, to allow children in Part A of the Katie Beckett Program to use their wraparound home- and community-based service funds via a health reimbursement arrangement.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Children under 18 with significant disabilities or complex medical needs enrolled in Part A of the Katie Beckett Program.
  • Parents and guardians of children enrolled in the program.
  • The director of TennCare and staff at TennCare.

Terms To Know

Katie Beckett Program
A part of Tennessee's Medicaid program that helps kids with disabilities or complex medical needs, even if their families make too much money for regular Medicaid.
TennCare
The name of Tennessee’s Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Limits and Unknowns

  • It is not clear how many children will be affected by these changes.
  • The bill does not specify if there are any limits on the amount of funds that can be used through a health reimbursement arrangement.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2025

  2. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/15/2025

  3. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rule #83(8) Suspended, to be heard in Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee on 4/15/2025

  4. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2025

  5. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  6. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  7. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/9/2025

  8. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  9. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  10. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Insurance Committee for 4/1/2025

  11. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  12. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Insurance Committee to 4/1/2025

  13. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Insurance Committee for 3/25/2025

  14. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  15. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  17. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Tenncare Subcommittee for 3/18/2025

  18. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Tenncare Subcommittee to 3/18/2025

  19. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Tenncare Subcommittee for 3/11/2025

  20. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Tenncare Subcommittee

  21. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Insurance Committee

  22. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  24. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  25. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  26. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

The Katie Beckett Program helps kids in
this state
with disabilities and
complex medical needs under the age of 18.

The
p
rogram provides care for a child
'
s disability or medical needs, even if their parents make too much money to get
m
edicaid
, and

c
hildren can
receive
this care in their homes.
Part A of the program
helps chil
dren in
this state
with the most significant disabilities or complex medical needs.
For Part A, a
child must meet
"
institutional
"
level of care
, which
means the
child
would qualify to receive care in a medical institution like a hospital or a nursing home
but want care at home.

Children in Part A receive full
m
edicaid
b
enefits and also can get up to $15,000 in nonmedical services called home
-
and community-based services.

A child must have private insurance, and a premium may be required based on the fam
ily
'
s income
.

This bill requires the
director of TennCare
to
take those actions the director deems necessary to enable the bureau of TennCare to make available to an enrollee in Part A of the program the option to use the wraparound home- and community-b
ased services funds allotted to the enrollee by means of a health reimbursement arrangement. Such actions may include seeking a waiver amendment or new federal waiver.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1053
By Roberts

HOUSE BILL 1158
By Lynn

HB1158
002941
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 71,
Chapter 5, relative to TennCare.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 71-5-164, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection:
(h) The director of TennCare shall take those actions the director deems
necessary to enable the bureau of TennCare to make available to an enrollee in Part A
of the Katie Beckett program the option to use the wraparound home- and community-
based services funds allotted to the enrollee by means of a health reimbursement
arrangement. Such actions may include seeking a waiver amendment or new federal
waiver.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.