[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6661879,"mediaKeyId","2401391-7d46cddded872c15f8a1ee18ec27c6c6","parentId",2401391,"title","Subcommittee backs bill to protect 340B covered entities' contract pharmacy arrangements; stakeholders split in testimony","audioSeconds",1142,"startMs",1038000,"endMs",2180000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2401391-7d46cddded872c15f8a1ee18ec27c6c6&start=1038&end=2180","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2401391-7d46cddded872c15f8a1ee18ec27c6c6/thumbnail_1038000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6661879/Tennessee/Subcommittee-backs-bill-to-protect-340B-covered-entities-contract-pharmacy-arrangements-stakeholders-split-in-testimony","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6661879-ae8f18a3d2da7a94b64839126e45d391/orig.mp4?Expires=1776153918&Signature=dC~CJRUL9BA-wfNvDeQ0TBkUN6J0v5b8~fhNZECbDbw6jag0W6j-tuHXFeftx3~fJFJRhiNh16lFNdCGgqnxWd62E6twAETvh0voC~~WSrciLLHrdjjhomUdU8wNYqtfxsXyTTQt5qy~f2oZIJu0okd6pjxorX2bit2mFQakdwKhLmc9DBXmT7gX1LKHDhrIz-lZWtSSWX1U3qFr~aie8eTNfjpMK2T886rsoQXoUUszQtkvgpM81vAeRRDXJ-RsntVEPYHC6Gijg1cAmtEADfxj1QWXrvcui9aMAs1bkXM~DIMM9jQumPbkFZ1F~fjcHmaZzn3pph3jaf8w4QxCig__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","TN House of Representatives","date","2025-02-26T17:38:11.487Z","article","House Bill 1242, which sponsors say would protect covered entities' ability to use 340B contract pharmacies and limit excessive data requests by drug manufacturers, passed the Insurance Subcommittee on Feb. 26 and will advance to the full Insurance Committee.

Sponsor Representative Geraldine Haynes told the committee that the federal 340B program, established in 1992, \"allows eligible health care providers called covered entities to purchase outpatient drugs at discounted rates to stretch federal resources, increase access, and provide comprehensive care to the most vulnerable patients, low income, under insured, and uninsured.\" Haynes said the amendment to HB 1242 is \"clarifying in nature\" and that the bill would ensure drug manufacturers cannot \"interfere with or restrict safety net providers' contract pharmacy arrangements\" or shift the program from an upfront-discount model to a post-sale rebate model.

Two witnesses with opposing views testified. Sarah Balog, senior director of state policy at a pharmaceutical industry trade group, testified in opposition and described 340B as a large federal program whose growth has outpaced original intent. Balog said contract pharmacies \"are a primary driver of the growth in the 340B program\" and argued many participating entities do not reinvest markup profits into charity care. She cited a fiscal note that, she said, shows the state could see more than $7,000,000 in recurring annual costs if the bill passes and said legal challenges have followed similar laws in other states.

Dr. Shannon Berger, CEO of Simpa Community Care and a board member of the Tennessee Primary Care Association, testified in support. Berger said Tennessee's covered entities are not-for-profit safety-net providers that are subject to audits by HRSA and other entities and argued the bill is necessary because manufacturers have recently imposed restrictions that limit access to contract pharmacies and are attempting to convert front-end discounts into back-end rebate schemes. Berger said 340B savings help rural and underserved patients by enabling safety-net providers to offer services such as sliding-fee scales and in-house pharmacies.

Committee members asked about transparency, markups and litigation. Balog said other states with similar bills have seen litigation and that manufacturers and pharmaceutical trade groups have challenged such laws in court. Berger said 340B entities are subject to multiple audits, that not-for-profits file IRS Form 990s, and that front-end discounts prevent rebates from flowing to for-profit intermediaries such as PBMs.

An amendment (drafting code 3956) was adopted and the committee voted to pass HB 1242 as amended; the clerk recorded a 6-0 vote. The transcript includes statements from witnesses and committee members but does not include the bill's full text or the complete fiscal analysis; the fiscal note cited by one witness was referenced but not read into the record during the excerpt. HB 1242 will proceed to the full Insurance Committee.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Insurance Subcommittee- February 26, 2025- House Hearing Room 1","oneSentenceSummary","House Bill 1242, which would bar manufacturers from restricting contract pharmacy arrangements and limit manufacturer data requests for 340B covered entities, passed the Insurance Subcommittee 6-0 after testimony from pharmaceutical industry and safety-net providers.","taxTitle","Insurance, House of Representatives, Committees, Legislative, Tennessee","taxId",35385,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6661882,"Committee advances bill to bar insurers from paying chiropractors differently for equivalent services",172,800000,972000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2401391-7d46cddded872c15f8a1ee18ec27c6c6&start=800&end=972","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2401391-7d46cddded872c15f8a1ee18ec27c6c6/thumbnail_800000.jpg","/articles/6661882/Tennessee/Committee-advances-bill-to-bar-insurers-from-paying-chiropractors-differently-for-equivalent-services","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6661882-8df705e88abe3f81f95d791ecf3f8ce3/orig.mp4?Expires=1776153918&Signature=Ihe461XLSzQo6OXpzf58ROTVrxA~irbbllJZC4Bl70aPGcRlKmXboV8BlRhYLxTaAWvdQShKVf55~lkkhJ2opSrQVbIPdWdaCNVpZSbErVzjpmehGc6HfeUPAbUHkZA~qd-Xpiis-hAVKmkmO-xFsyTVlvdRDXZFe9v3AI-3Yw5DsElcvlK3nrd~F0RUxzaei5eqsDzid4fINe-ttXsNcpiK7EDBtnPv2tc8S98j88oaZk83rcQLZGeft0rex19VI7kIDoWpXpq2lypYMLU~nzSPDW5yBfWeNS3q7~OUIS4BmzCR3~GF1I6lhcG1gjVu~SXz2i-zfCBKVUWudvIzJg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Bill 29, aimed at standardizing reimbursement methodology so chiropractors are not paid differently than medical physicians for services within their lawful scope of practice, passed the Insurance Subcommittee on Feb. 26 and will go to the full Insurance Committee.

Chairman Sopicki, the bill's sponsor, told the committee the legislation \"prohibits a health insurance entity from discriminating between a chiropractic physician and a medical physician with respect to the methodology used to calculate reimbursement or the amount of reimbursement to be paid for a service that is in the lawful scope of practice of a duly licensed chiropractic physician.\" He said the bill would also prevent insurers from circumventing that prohibition by creating chiropractic-specific codes or payment methodologies not listed in the nationally recognized code book insurers use to set reimbursement.

Committee members sought clarification on practical effects. Representative Hakim asked if the bill would ensure chiropractors are \"paid at the same rate as doctors.\" Sopicki explained the bill would require use of the same billing codes (such as CPT codes) when the same service is provided so that compensation is aligned.

An amendment to the bill (drafting code 0004067) was offered and adopted; the amendment remade the bill. The clerk reported a 6-0 vote in favor of passage after the amendment was attached. The transcript does not record individual roll-call votes; the clerk announced six ayes and zero nays. House Bill 29 will proceed to the full Insurance Committee for further consideration.

The transcript does not include the bill's exact statutory text or an analysis of potential fiscal impacts; those details will be needed as the bill moves forward.","House Bill 29, which would prohibit health insurers from using reimbursement methodologies that pay chiropractors less than medical physicians for services within chiropractors' lawful scope of practice, passed the Insurance Subcommittee 6-0 and will move to the full committee.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6661884,"Panel approves bill to create portable benefit accounts for independent contractors",536,237000,773000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2401391-7d46cddded872c15f8a1ee18ec27c6c6&start=237&end=773","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2401391-7d46cddded872c15f8a1ee18ec27c6c6/thumbnail_237000.jpg","/articles/6661884/Tennessee/Panel-approves-bill-to-create-portable-benefit-accounts-for-independent-contractors","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6661884-72a318acd0e0824d0fdeeb84205c0125/orig.mp4?Expires=1776153918&Signature=NBh0SPAbDJUc4nQ6EAHaYoOkldGUuBvU3VD~8gsguxr3S39lBD4SaPSEPt4zPyQoNgJ407fBv~StrBGV4fqp6C0fykbBz8ylvmHnonxcJoyv3K4YaySnRr6ukShRODubqpXhBAmlQsuJ~WPmQN9opE2hr2pnzsL57OHpoDk7PbMh4LowNnUvvC53m7-qO7p4VzpUseAyzozlxUKy6eWaWKlFiRLY0uWqm8WyqBKoQqXRV~z-O5QIvFZafd4FuihodMrljZGuY2PVREFWIZgbc6mNDYMo6KQsXmvmitWIZKmx1GFRIzVOnTdtqIG695~5cJAPfOgaHItiZJhNRQa3Lw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Bill 494, a proposal to let independent contractors receive benefits through voluntary portable accounts, was approved by the Insurance Subcommittee on Feb. 26 and will advance to the full Insurance Committee.

The bill, explained by Chairman Baum, would \"allow independent contractors to have portable benefit accounts\" that the worker could use for health insurance, income replacement insurance, life insurance, retirement benefits and other employment-related benefits. Baum said the accounts would be voluntary, flexible and portable so they would remain with a worker who changed customers or had multiple clients.

The bill targets workers commonly categorized as independent contractors — \"gig workers, freelancers, consultants,\" Baum said, citing examples such as Uber and Lyft drivers and delivery workers. Contributions to the accounts could come from the entity that hires the contractor, from the contractor themselves, or from other individuals such as family members, Baum said. Third-party providers would manage the accounts.

Committee members asked about tax and regulatory implications. Representative Freeman asked, \"How are these taxed?\" Baum responded that tax implications differ between W-2 employees and 1099 independent contractors and noted that some tax advantages — such as the ability to deduct business expenses — are specific to independent contractors. Representative Jones asked whether the bill would undermine state independent-contractor definitions; Baum said \"it will not\" and that the intent is to preserve contractors' employment status. Representative Hakim asked about regulatory oversight and who would hold funds; Baum said the bill defines third-party administrators and contemplates banks, investment managers and technology providers operating under applicable federal law.

The committee approved an amendment (drafting code 3693) that remade the bill; the amendment passed and the committee then voted on the amended bill. The clerk reported a 6-0 vote in favor. The committee record shows the amendment was adopted and House Bill 494, as amended, \"goes to insurance full.\" No individual roll-call votes were read aloud in the transcript; the clerk announced the tally as six ayes and zero nays.

The bill does not itself set federal limits for retirement or other tax-advantaged accounts; Baum noted that federal limits in the Internal Revenue Code would continue to apply. He also said the statute is written to avoid creating state liability for relationships between contractors and third-party administrators. The bill text and amendment drafting code were cited during the hearing but the transcript does not show the full statutory language or whether additional regulatory guidance is required.

House Bill 494 moves to the full Insurance Committee for further consideration.","The Insurance Subcommittee voted 6-0 to advance House Bill 494, which would authorize voluntary, portable benefit accounts for independent contractors to receive benefits such as health insurance and retirement without changing their employment status.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Subcommittee backs bill to protect 340B covered entities' contract pharmacy arrangements; stakeholders split in testimony

Committee advances bill to bar insurers from paying chiropractors differently for equivalent services

Panel approves bill to create portable benefit accounts for independent contractors