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Committee approves bill to raise TennCare ambulance reimbursements and assessment
Summary
Senate Bill 210, intended to increase TennCare reimbursement rates for ground ambulance services and adjust the ambulance assessment, passed the Commerce and Labor Committee and will go to Finance. Sponsors cited struggling rural ambulance services and rising operating costs.
The Senate Commerce and Labor Committee unanimously approved Senate Bill 210 on Tuesday and referred the measure to the Finance Committee.
Senator Jackson presented the bill and an amendment (drafting code 005322) that the chair said "makes the bill." As amended, the measure increases TennCare reimbursement rates for both emergency and nonemergency ground ambulance transports and adjusts the ambulance assessment that funds those reimbursements. "The purpose of this bill is to further sustain and protect the ambulance services provided across the state, as costs have continued to rise," Senator Jackson told the committee, adding that many ambulance services operate at a loss.
The committee moved the amendment by voice and then voted on final passage. The clerk recorded eight ayes: Senators Johnson, Reeves, Sutherland, Stevens, Taylor, Watson, Yeager and Chairman Bailey. The item will be considered next by the Finance Committee, per the chair.
The sponsor and the committee noted the bill carries a substantial fiscal note; members said the legislation was intended to shore up rural ambulance services and to reflect rising operational costs.
— Ending note: With unanimous committee passage, the bill now advances to the Finance Committee for further fiscal review.
