Senate approves bill letting insured Tennesseans request a 12‑month supply of covered contraceptives

The Tennessee Senate on final consideration approved House Bill 169 as amended, allowing beneficiaries with private insurance to request and receive a 12‑month supply of covered contraceptives at a single pharmacy visit. Senate Leader Ackberry, the bill sponsor on the floor, said the change aligns private coverage with an existing TennCare benefit and argued it will help prevent missed doses.

"1 in 3 women in The US have missed a dose of birth control because they did not get a refill on time," Leader Ackberry said on the floor, adding that "over 400,000 women in Tennessee currently live in what we call, contraceptive care desert." Committee members asked how replacement fills would be handled if medication is lost; Ackberry responded the bill does not change insurers' replacement or refill rules and would not override a physician's instructions. The bill passed on a recorded vote: Ayes 30, Nays 2.

Supporters said the amendment does not require insurers to cover contraceptives where they do not already provide coverage, nor does it force patients to pick up a 12‑month supply; it simply allows that option at a patient's request. Questions from senators focused on pharmacy operations and whether the measure would alter existing clinical or insurer refill policies; the sponsor said it would not.

The bill was taken up under regular calendar procedures and passed as amended. Legislative deadlines and committee schedules were discussed later in the day; the Senate adjourned until 4 PM on Monday, Feb. 23.