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SB2557 • 2026

Insurance, Health, Accident

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 3; Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 10; Title 12; Title 29; Title 35; Title 36; Title 37; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41; Title 42; Title 45; Title 47; Title 49; Title 50; Title 52; Title 53; Title 56; Title 58; Title 63; Title 67; Title 68 and Title 71, relative to health insurance.

Healthcare
Active

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

Sponsor
Reeves, Sexton
Last action
2026-04-07
Official status
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 5, Nays 3 PNV 1
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary text and digest do not provide specific details about the content of Senate Bill 2557, only that it amends various titles in the Tennessee Code Annotated relative to health insurance. The bill's full text excerpt does not contain relevant information for this explanation.

Health Insurance Plan Changes

This bill allows health insurance companies to offer short-term limited-duration plans and hospital indemnity coverage with certain minimum requirements on the marketplace.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows health insurance companies to sell short-term limited-duration plans that meet federal law requirements.
  • Sets a maximum deductible of $10,000 per person and $10,000 for all family members in these plans.
  • Limits coinsurance to no more than 20% and out-of-pocket costs to $5,000 per term.
  • Requires coverage with copays up to $50 for doctor visits and urgent care.
  • Permits health insurance companies to offer hospital indemnity coverage with different deductible tiers.
  • Requires the Department of Commerce and Insurance to create rules for these plans.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Health insurance companies that sell short-term limited-duration plans and hospital indemnity coverage.
  • People who buy health insurance on the marketplace.

Terms To Know

Short-Term Limited-Duration Plan
A type of health insurance plan with a fixed end date, usually less than one year.
Hospital Indemnity Coverage
Insurance that pays out a set amount when you are admitted to the hospital for covered reasons.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill's effectiveness depends on federal laws or regulations allowing these plans.
  • It does not specify what happens if there is a conflict with existing state laws.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB2503

Plain English: The amendment allows health insurance companies in Tennessee to offer short-term limited-duration plans and hospital indemnity coverage with specific minimum requirements on the federal marketplace.

  • Health insurance entities can now offer short-term limited-duration plans that meet certain minimum coverage standards, such as a $10,000 per person deductible and a maximum out-of-pocket limit of $5,000.
  • Insurance companies are also permitted to provide hospital indemnity coverage with five different tiers based on the amount of the deductible, ranging from $2,500 to $15,000.
  • The exact implementation details and rules for these plans will be determined by the Department of Commerce and Insurance after consulting federal guidelines.
  • Some parts of the amendment text are truncated or unclear, making it difficult to provide a complete summary.
Amendment 2-0 to HB2503

Plain English: The amendment changes how health insurance companies can set requirements for people to join their plans and coverages without considering pre-existing conditions.

  • Health insurance companies cannot use medical underwriting or discriminate based on preexisting conditions when someone wants to join a plan.
  • Insurance entities must not consider an individual's preexisting condition when setting eligibility requirements.
  • The amendment text does not specify what specific changes are made to the original sections beyond removing and replacing certain parts, which makes it hard to fully understand all impacts without seeing the full context of Sections 1 and 2.
Amendment 1-0 to SB2557

Plain English: The amendment allows health insurance companies in Tennessee to offer short-term limited-duration plans and hospital indemnity coverage with specific minimum requirements on the federal marketplace.

  • Health insurance entities can now offer short-term limited-duration plans that meet certain minimum coverage standards, such as a $10,000 per person deductible and a maximum out-of-pocket limit of $5,000.
  • Insurance companies are also permitted to provide hospital indemnity coverage with five different tiers based on the amount of the deductible, ranging from $2,500 to $15,000.
  • The exact implementation details and rules for these plans will be determined by the Department of Commerce and Insurance after consulting federal guidelines.
  • If there is a conflict between state law and federal regulations, federal law takes precedence.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  2. 2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 74, Nays 20, PNV 0

  3. 2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Failed to adopt am (Amendment 2- HA1117), Ayes 19, Nays 76, PNV 0

  4. 2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0901)

  5. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/13/2026

  6. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/9/2026

  7. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 5, Nays 3 PNV 1

  8. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  9. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rule #83(8) Suspended, to be heard in Senate Commerce & Labor Committee on 4/7/2026

  10. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  11. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Government Operations Committee for 4/6/2026

  12. 2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Government Operations Committee

  13. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Insurance Committee for 3/31/2026

  14. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  15. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  16. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Insurance Subcommittee for 3/25/2026

  17. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    No Action Taken

  18. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Insurance Subcommittee for 3/18/2026

  19. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Insurance Subcommittee to 3/18/2026

  20. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Commerce and Labor Committee

  21. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  22. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Insurance Subcommittee for 3/11/2026

  23. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Insurance Subcommittee

  24. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Insurance Committee - Government Operations for Review

  25. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  27. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Reset on Final calendar of Senate Commerce and Labor Committee

  28. 2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 2/24/2026

  29. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  30. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.

  31. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  32. 2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  33. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  34. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 15, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 2503, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, authorize a
health insurance entity
to
offer a short-term limited-duration plan
and
hospital indemnity coverage
on the marketplace.

SHORT-TERM LIMITED-DURATION PLAN

This amendment authorizes a health insurance entity to offer a short-term limited-duration plan if the plan complies with the duration limitations or requirements imposed by federal law for a short-term limited-duration plan to be offered on the marketpla
ce, and provides no less than the following minimum coverage and benefits:



A per person deductible of no more than $10,000 per term.


A per family deductible for all covered family members of no more than $10,000 per term.


A coinsurance of no more than 20% per term.


A maximum out-of-pocket coinsurance of no more than $5,000 per term.


A maximum benefit, per person, per term, of one million dollars.


Coverage with a copay of no more than $50 per person, per term, for a visit with a physician for the enrollee's history and exam only.


Coverage with a copay of no more than $50 per person, per term, for an urgent care visit.


A copay of no more than 20% of the reasonable and customary charges for: (i) a preventative care visit, (ii) an emergency room visit for accident or illness, (iii) an inpatient hospital service, (iv) an outpatient surgery, (v) a lab, and (vi) an x-ray.


Four tiers of pharmacy benefits for outpatient prescription drugs as follows: (i) for the first tier, coverage of preferred generic drugs with a copay of no more than $25 and no deductible, (ii) for the second tier, coverage of generic drugs, (iii) for the third tier, coverage of preferred brand drugs, and (iv) for the fourth tier, coverage of non-preferred generic and non-preferred brand name drugs.

This amendment provides that except as provided under federal law :



A health insurance entity offering a plan pursuant to this amendment may require an individual to meet eligibility requirements to enroll in the plan.


A plan offered pursuant to this amendment must comply with present law.


A health insurance entity may offer benefits or coverage under a short-term limited-duration plan on the marketplace that exceed the minimum requirements described above.

HOSPITAL INDEMNITY COVERAGE

This amendment authorizes a health insurance entity to offer hospital indemnity coverage if the coverage allows an individual to choose from five tiers that provide at least the following coverage:



For the first tier, a deductible of no more than $2,500.


For the second tier, a deductible of no more than $5,000.


For the third tier, a deductible of no more than $7,500.


For the fourth tier, a deductible of no more than $10,000.


For the fifth tier, a deductible of no more than $15,000.

This amendment provides that except as provided under federal law :



A health insurance entity offering coverage pursuant to this amendment may require an individual to meet eligibility requirements to enroll in the coverage.


Coverage offered pursuant to this amendment must comply with present law.


A health insurance entity may offer benefits or coverage under a hospital indemnity policy on the marketplace that exceed the minimum requirements as described above.

CONFLICTS OF LAW

If this amendment conflicts with federal law, then the federal law controls to the extent of the conflict.

RULEMAKING

This amendment requires the department of commerce and insurance to promulgate rules to effectuate the bill.

EFFECTIVE DATES

This amendment provides that notwithstanding another law to the contrary, the authorization of the sale of short-term limited-duration plans and the sale of hospital indemnity coverage on the marketplace takes effect on the
30
th day following the passage or issuance of a federal law or regulation allowing the sale of short-term limited-duration plans and the sale of hospital indemnity coverage on the marketplace
.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HOUSE BILL 2503
By Sexton

SENATE BILL 2557
By Reeves
SB2557
012308
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 3;
Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 10; Title
12; Title 29; Title 35; Title 36; Title 37; Title 39;
Title 40; Title 41; Title 42; Title 45; Title 47; Title
49; Title 50; Title 52; Title 53; Title 56; Title 58;
Title 63; Title 67; Title 68 and Title 71, relative to
health insurance.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 56-7-1013(f)(1), is amended by
deleting "ten (10) business days" and substituting "nine (9) business days".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.