Senate panel OKs bill requiring TennCare reports on psychotropic prescriptions, including foster-care use

The Senate Health Committee advanced SB2255 after adopting an amendment; the bill would require TennCare to produce two de-identified reports each year: one tracking prescriptions for psychotropic medications across the TennCare population by age group, number of distinct medications, county and cost, and a second focused on children in foster care prescribed psychotropic medications for 90 days or longer.

Sponsor Senator Taylor told the committee the reports would rely on TennCare administrative and billing data and would be de-identified to comply with HIPAA. "All of this data will be an aggregate. It'll be, de-identified per HIPAA regulations," he said. Taylor said reporting is intended to quantify spending—"we are spending anywhere from 89 to $96,000,000 a quarter on these types of drugs"—and to inform future policy.

Committee members asked how the data would be obtained and whether providers would need to submit extra information; Taylor and staff said the reports would use data TennCare already maintains and would not require additional provider reporting. The committee approved the amendment and recorded a roll-call vote of nine ayes; the bill goes to the calendar.