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Tennessee House adopts bill barring denial of care to TennCare patients over vaccine choice
Summary
The House passed a measure that prohibits physicians who accept TennCare from refusing care to patients because they are unvaccinated; lawmakers debated practical effects and exemptions for immunocompromised patients before passage.
The Tennessee House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday that bars health-care providers who accept TennCare from refusing treatment to patients because they are unvaccinated, sponsor Representative Charlie Carringer said on the House floor.
The legislation, carried in the House as a substitute to Senate Bill 13-89 (originally presented as House Bill 638), was introduced by Representative Carringer as a response to reports of medical discrimination against families who decline vaccines. Carringer said the measure is modeled on Texas House Bill 44 (2023) and is limited in scope to TennCare enrollees.
Supporters said the bill will preserve access to care for low-income patients who rely on TennCare and create space for patient–provider conversations about vaccination. Representative Carringer told colleagues that amendments added religious and…
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