AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 56 and Title 63, Chapter 1, relative to prior authorization for healthcare services.
Summary
SB1063 amends Tennessee law relating to prior authorization for healthcare services. The bill deletes Tennessee Code Annotated § 63-1-171 and removes subdivision (a)(4) from § 56-6-705, thereby eliminating specified statutory provisions tied to prior authorization requirements in the healthcare and insurance regulatory framework.
In practical terms, the measure changes how prior authorization is governed for healthcare services in Tennessee by striking existing language from both the health-professions and insurance codes. Because the bill is a deletion-only measure, its effect is to remove the referenced provisions rather than create a new regulatory program or add new procedural requirements.
Impact
The bill directly affects Title 56 and Title 63 of the Tennessee Code by repealing one entire section and one subdivision related to prior authorization for healthcare services. This likely alters obligations for insurers, healthcare providers, and possibly licensing or regulatory entities that relied on the removed provisions, while leaving the rest of the statutory framework intact.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial in the legislative process. It passed the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee 7-0, cleared a floor vote 32-0 on third consideration, and then passed the House 90-0, indicating unanimous or near-unanimous approval at each recorded stage.
Contention
No committee transcript was provided, and the recorded votes show no opposition, so there is no visible substantive contention in the available materials. The only likely policy issue implied by the bill is whether removing prior-authorization-related statutory language would reduce administrative burden for providers and patients or, conversely, reduce utilization controls for insurers; however, no recorded debate in the provided context identifies specific opponents or arguments.
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