AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 71, relative to TennCare.
Summary
HB1387 would require Tennessee’s TennCare division, beginning July 1, 2026, to keep a child enrolled in TennCare Medicaid or the CoverKids program continuously eligible until the child turns 18, subject to federal law. The bill is aimed at preventing coverage interruptions for minors and is framed as a child health and continuity-of-care measure.
Under the bill, the state could not redetermine a minor’s eligibility or disenroll the child unless certain exceptions apply, including voluntary disenrollment requested by a parent or guardian, death, moving out of state, income exceeding program limits, or a prior enrollment error or fraud. The bill also allows the division to move a child between TennCare Medicaid and CoverKids as needed to maintain eligibility, and directs the TennCare director to seek any necessary federal waiver by December 31, 2025.
Impact
The bill would amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 71, by adding a new section governing continuous eligibility for minors in TennCare Medicaid and CoverKids. It would limit the state’s ability to conduct mid-year or otherwise routine eligibility redeterminations for enrolled children and would constrain disenrollment to specified circumstances, thereby changing administrative practices within TennCare and potentially increasing continuity of coverage for eligible children. Because the measure is conditioned on federal law and contemplates a federal waiver, implementation would depend in part on federal approval or compatibility with Medicaid requirements.
Sentiment
The bill’s stated purpose reflects a strongly supportive posture toward children’s health coverage, emphasizing access to care, prevention, and uninterrupted insurance for eligible minors. Even without recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the text itself suggests a policy consensus in favor of protecting children from losing coverage due to administrative churn. The measure appears designed as a public-welfare initiative rather than a controversial restructuring of benefits.
Contention
The main potential point of contention is administrative and fiscal: the bill restricts TennCare’s ability to redetermine eligibility and could require the state to maintain coverage longer than under current practice, which may raise concerns about program costs, oversight, and compliance with federal Medicaid rules. Another possible issue is the need for a federal waiver, since the bill expressly operates only to the extent permitted by federal law. Supporters would likely focus on continuity of care and reduced gaps in coverage, while critics may question whether the state should be bound to continuous eligibility through age 18 without more frequent review.