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Senate Health and Welfare advances private air-ambulance and medical-credentialing bills; both move forward on unanimous roll calls
Summary
The Senate Health and Welfare Committee advanced Senate Bill 138 on private air ambulance services to finance and Senate Bill 174 on medical occupations (adding an additional surgical assistant credentialing body) to the calendar after roll-call votes of 9-0.
The Senate Health and Welfare Committee advanced two bills on unanimous voice/roll-call votes during its meeting. Senator Bailey moved Senate Bill 138, concerning private emergency air medical transport, which the committee sent to Finance. Senator Massey presented Senate Bill 174, which adds the American Board of Surgical Assistants to Tennessee's list of approved credentialing bodies for surgical assistants; the committee sent that bill to the calendar.
Why this matters: SB 138 addresses oversight and payment for emergency air medical transports, which committee members said are driven largely by Medicare and Medicaid cases in rural areas; SB 174 is intended to expand the state’s eligible surgical workforce by recognizing an additional certifying body amid workforce shortages.
Senate Bill 138 (private air ambulance services): Senator Bailey, sponsor, told the committee that “the air medical provider has no control over the demand for its services or the pay or mix of those requiring these services,” and noted that “roughly 70% of all air medical flights are Medicare and Medicaid in Tennessee,” with many occurring in rural areas. The measure was moved and seconded by Senator Watson and Senator Reeves, respectively. There were no amendments. The secretary called the roll; nine senators voted aye and the bill was reported to the Finance, Ways and Means Committee.
Senate Bill 174 (medical occupations): Senator Massey said the bill would add the American Board of Surgical Assistants to the list of approved credentialing bodies so health facilities may hire surgical first assistants credentialed by that board. He said the change responds to workforce shortages identified by Vanderbilt and others. The bill was moved by Senator Yarbrough and seconded by Senator Reeves, received no amendments, and passed on a roll call of nine ayes; the bill was reported to the calendar.
Votes at a glance: - Senate Bill 138 (private air ambulance services). Motion: Report to Finance, Ways and Means. Mover: Senator Watson. Second: Senator Reeves. Outcome: approved, reported to Finance. Vote tally: 9 ayes, 0 no, 0 abstain. Senators recorded as voting aye: Hale; Harshbarger; Hensley; Jackson; Massey; Reeves; Watson; Yarbrough; Chairman Crow. - Senate Bill 174 (medical occupations — add American Board of Surgical Assistants). Motion: Report to Calendar. Mover: Senator Yarbrough. Second: Senator Reeves. Outcome: approved, reported to Calendar. Vote tally: 9 ayes, 0 no, 0 abstain. Senators recorded as voting aye: Hale; Harshbarger; Hensley; Jackson; Massey; Reeves; Watson; Yarbrough; Chairman Crow.
Committee process notes: Both bills were discussed briefly, presented by their sponsors, and sent forward without amendment. The transcript shows standard roll-call confirmations and no recorded dissenting remarks during these items.
Ending: With the two bills advanced, committee members moved on to testimony from nonprofit food-bank representatives and a presentation on an opioid-prevention program.
