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SB0440 • 2026

Insurance, Health, Accident

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 56, relative to excepted benefits exemptions.

Healthcare Labor
Active

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

Sponsor
Walley, Hawk
Last action
2025-04-29
Official status
Effective date(s) 07/01/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide detailed information on the exact types of limited benefits that will be covered under future regulations, leaving some uncertainty in this area.

Insurance Law Changes

This law changes how certain types of insurance benefits must be covered in Tennessee.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the rules for some kinds of insurance to say they don't have to cover specific treatments or conditions unless a law says they do.
  • Lists eight different types of insurance that are not required to provide coverage for certain things if those benefits are offered separately.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who buy or renew accident, disability income, liability, workers' compensation, and other types of insurance after July 1, 2025.
  • Insurance companies that offer the listed types of coverage in Tennessee.

Terms To Know

Excepted benefits
Certain types of insurance benefits that are not required to cover specific treatments or conditions unless a law says they must.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The exact details about which other similar limited benefits will be covered under the new rules are not clear and depend on future regulations.
  • It is unclear how this change might affect people who already have insurance policies before July 1, 2025.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 07/01/2025

  2. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 210

  3. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 210

  4. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 88, Nays 0, PNV 1

  10. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  11. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  12. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  13. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar 4/3/2025

  14. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Objected to on Consent Calendar.

  15. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 3/31/2025

  16. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/27/2025

  17. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  18. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  19. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  20. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  21. 2025-03-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/17/2025

  22. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  24. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  25. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Insurance Subcommittee for 3/12/2025

  27. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  28. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) withdrawn.

  29. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  30. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  31. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  32. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Insurance Subcommittee

  33. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Insurance Committee

  34. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  35. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  36. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

For p
olicies or contracts for insurance that are entered into, issued, delivered, amended, or renewed on or after
July 1, 2025,

this bill generally provides that the following benefits are
exempt from a requiremen
t to provide coverage for a specific person, provider, treatment, service, condition, or disease
,
unless coverage of
such
benefit is expressly required by law
:



Coverage only for accident or disability income insurance, or any combination of accident and disability income insurance
;



Coverage issued as a supplement to liability insurance
;



Liability insurance, including general liability insurance and automobile liability insurance
;



Workers' compensation or similar insurance
;



Automobile medical payment insurance
;



Credit-only insurance
;



Coverage for on-site medical clinics
;



Other similar insurance coverage, specified in regulations, under which benefits for medical care are secondary or incidental to other insurance benefits
;



Benefits
, if
offered separately
, that are
(i) limited scope dental or vision benefits;

(ii) benefits for long-term care, nursing home care, home health care, community-based care, or any combination of long-term care, nursing home care, home health care and community-based care; and

(iii) other similar, limited benefits specified in regulations
;



Benefits
, if
offered as independent, noncoordinated benefits
, that
are coverage only for a specified disease or illness and hospital indemnity or other fixed indemnity insurance
; and



Benefits
, if offered as
a separate insurance policy
,

that
are medicare supplement insurance, coverage supplemental to the coverage provided under
federal law
, and similar supplemental coverage provided to coverage under a group health plan
.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HOUSE BILL 927
By Hawk

SENATE BILL 440
By Walley

SB0440
002045
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 56,
relative to excepted benefits exemptions.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 56, Chapter 26, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
Notwithstanding this title, excepted benefits as defined in § 56-7-2802 are
exempt from a requirement to provide coverage for a specific person, provider,
treatment, service, condition, or disease unless coverage of excepted benefits is
expressly required by law.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it, and
applies to policies or contracts for insurance that are entered into, issued, delivered, amended,
or renewed on or after that date.