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SB 2557

Insurance, Health, Accident - As introduced, decreases, from 10 to nine business days, the time that a health insurance carrier has after receipt of a written request from a healthcare provider to deliver to the provider at the provider's dedicated email address that provider's fee schedule, free of charge, in either a partial or full version as requested by the provider, in a transferable industry standard spreadsheet, including Microsoft Excel or other comparable format. - Amends TCA 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.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026)

The bill shortens providers’ fee-schedule delivery to 9 business days (from 10) after request, delivered to a dedicated email in a standard spreadsheet format.

Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 5, Nays 3 PNV 1
#accident #health #insurance
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Bill Summary · SB 2557

Summary of bill: SB 2557 (Session 114, Tennessee)

Note: This summary focuses on the health insurance provisions contained in the bill and related fiscal notes. The bill text references multiple Tennessee Code titles but the substantive change highlighted below is specific and primary.

1) Main purpose and intent

  • The bill revises the timeframe within which a health insurance carrier must deliver a provider’s fee schedule to a provider upon written request. Specifically, it shortens the delivery deadline from 10 business days to 9 business days after receipt of the request to deliver the fee schedule to the provider’s dedicated email address, in a transferable industry-standard spreadsheet format (e.g., Microsoft Excel).

  • The act also includes broader sections that author a framework for short-term, limited-duration (STLD) plans and hospital indemnity coverage on the Marketplace (as amended text indicates), along with related rulemaking and federal-law-triggered effective dates. However, the primary codified provision in the title snippet provided is the 9-business-day change to fee schedule delivery.

2) Key provisions and changes

  • Section 1: Amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 56-7-1013(f)(1)

    • Change: Decreases the timeframe for health insurance carriers to provide fee schedules to providers from 10 business days to 9 business days after a provider’s written request.
    • Format/Delivery: The fee schedule must be delivered to the provider’s dedicated email address and provided in a transferable industry-standard spreadsheet format (e.g., Microsoft Excel or other comparable format), and can be partial or full as requested by the provider.

  • Section 2: Effective date

    • The act takes effect upon becoming law, provided that public welfare requires it.

  • Additional editorial/fiscal/related provisions (as reflected in the amended/companion analysis text)

    • The fiscal notes indicate a NOT SIGNIFICANT impact on state/local government operations.
    • The fiscal memoranda discuss STLD plans and hospital indemnity coverage on the Marketplace, including rulemaking by the Department of Commerce and Insurance (DCI), and the need to wait for federal authorization before such products can be sold on the Marketplace. These sections suggest a framework should federal action occur, but they are contingent on federal permission and are not immediately active requirements.

3) Who or what would be affected

  • Health insurance carriers operating in Tennessee

    • They would be required to deliver fee schedules to providers within 9 business days (instead of 10), upon written request, and to deliver the information to the provider’s dedicated email address in a standard spreadsheet format.

  • Healthcare providers

    • Providers who request fee schedules from carriers would receive them more quickly (one day sooner) and in a standardized, transferable format.

  • Possible ripple effects

    • Administrative workflows for insurers and provider relations teams would need minor adjustments to ensure compliance with the tighter 9-day window.
    • No broad direct mandates on coverage, benefits, or pricing beyond the 9-day delivery requirement.

4) Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Legislative path (as of action history):
    • Introduced and assigned to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee in early 2026.
    • Passed multiple endorsements and was placed on calendars multiple times.
    • On April 7, 2026, recommended for passage with amendment(s) and referred to the Senate Calendar Committee; a prior schedule indicates consideration by the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee.
  • Effective date:
    • The act becomes law upon becoming law, subject to general constitutional timing. It specifies “the public welfare requiring it” for immediate effect, which is a standard mechanism in Tennessee for acts that are to take effect promptly after passage.

5) Fiscal and economic impact

  • Fiscal impact: Not significant, per fiscal notes. No notable expected impact on state or local government operations.
  • Commerce impact: Not significant. Impacts would vary by insurer, but overall statewide effects are estimated as not significant.

If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side comparison of current law vs. the proposed changes, or tailor the summary for a lay audience vs. a policy analyst audience.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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