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SB0501 • 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.

Healthcare
Active

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

Sponsor
Akbari, Love
Last action
2025-03-26
Official status
Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Health and Welfare Committee
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

  • Gives the governor permission to make Medicaid cover more people who have sickle cell disease.
  • Requires that this expansion follows federal rules set by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
  • Lets the governor talk with the federal government about how to run this part of Medicaid.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People in Tennessee with sickle cell disease who need medical care.
  • The state's Medicaid program, which helps pay for healthcare for low-income people.

Terms To Know

Medicaid
A government health insurance program that helps cover medical costs for certain people with limited income and resources.
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA)
A federal law in the United States that aims to increase healthcare access, quality, and affordability by regulating how much private insurers can charge and expanding Medicaid eligibility.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify exactly how many people will be covered or what specific treatments will be included.
  • It is unclear when the governor might take action to expand Medicaid coverage for sickle cell disease.

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

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

  3. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Insurance Committee to First Cal. 2026

  4. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  5. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  6. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  7. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  8. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  9. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Insurance Committee 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
HOUSE BILL 15
By Love

SENATE BILL 501
By Akbari

SB0501
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.