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SB 1939

TennCare - As introduced, authorizes the division to submit its annual report on the annual coverage assessment to the finance and health committees of both houses at intervals more frequent than quarterly. - Amends TCA Title 71, Chapter 5.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Ferrell Haile

Gives TennCare the option to report its annual coverage assessment more frequently than quarterly, without changing the assessment itself.

Companion House Bill substituted
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Bill Summary · SB 1939

Summary of Bill: SB 1939 / HB 1867 (Tennessee, 114th General Assembly)

Title

TennCare - As introduced, authorizes the division to submit its annual report on the annual coverage assessment to the finance and health committees of both houses at intervals more frequent than quarterly. Amends Tenn. Code Annotated Title 71, Chapter 5.

Primary purpose

  • To allow the TennCare Division to report on the annual coverage assessment more frequently than quarterly, if desired.
  • The amended language positions this as authorization for more frequent reporting, while otherwise preserving current law.

Key provisions and changes

  • Section 1: Amends Tenn. Code Annotated § 71-5-2005(g) by inserting, before the phrase “The report must,” the provision: “The division may submit the report on a more frequent basis.”
    • Effect: The TennCare Division gains discretion to provide the annual coverage assessment report more often than the current quarterly cadence, subject to future administration or statutory guidance.
  • Section 2: Effective date: Upon becoming a law (immediate effect once enacted).

Who/what is affected

  • TennCare Division (the state agency administering TennCare/Medicaid programs) gains the authority to increase the frequency of its annual coverage assessment reporting.
  • Legislative committees (Finance and Health committees of both the Senate and House) as recipients of the report will receive potentially more frequent data if the division exercises the new authority.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • The bill does not change the substantive content of the annual coverage assessment itself; it only provides optional flexibility for more frequent reporting.
  • There is no specified minimum or maximum frequency beyond allowing reports at intervals more frequent than quarterly.
  • Effective date is immediate upon enactment, meaning the authority could be used in upcoming reporting cycles if the administration opts to do so.

Fiscal impact (as analyzed in fiscal memo)

  • The fiscal analysis, including the Fiscal Review Committee memorandum, indicates:
    • The proposed change of authorizing more frequent reporting has a “not significant” fiscal impact on state and local government operations.
    • No direct revenue or expenditure changes are tied solely to the reporting frequency in this analysis.
  • Additional fiscal notes (from the amended bill’s broader, related (but separate) fiscal discussion) detail the Annual Coverage Assessment Act of 2026 and its associated financial implications for the Maintenance of Coverage Trust Fund (MCTF) and federal matching funds. Those details pertain to a larger set of provisions not solely about reporting frequency but about hospital assessments, intergovernmental transfers, and hospital payment structures. The summary here focuses strictly on the reporting-authority provision, but it’s worth noting the fiscal memo context:
    • The broader act contemplated a 6% annual coverage assessment on hospital net revenues and related financial flows, with substantial federal match considerations.
    • Those fiscal figures are separate from the procedural/reporting change in SB 1939/HB 1867, though the two documents are part of the same legislative package.

Summary in plain terms

  • SB 1939/HB 1867 would simply give TennCare the option to submit its annual coverage assessment report more often than every three months. It does not mandate more frequent reporting, nor does it alter the substance of the assessment itself. The measure takes effect immediately if enacted and carries no significant fiscal impact by itself.

Status and sponsor

  • Companion/sponsor: Senator Haile (Co-sponsor: Senator Ferrell Haile) and Representative Hicks G.
  • Action history shows progression through committee referrals and readings in early 2026, with a sponsor addition on 4/15/2026.

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

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