{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2025/12/health care/blackburn-introduces-bills-to-support-and-expand-tennessee-s-medicaid-innovation", "Blackburn Introduces Bills to Support and Expand Tennessee\u2019s Medicaid Innovation", "2025-12-02", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "Senate", "TN", "Marsha Blackburn", "B001243", "www.blackburn.senate.gov", "blackburn", "https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) introduced a package of three bills to support and expand Tennessee\u2019s Medicaid innovation. The legislation includes the Access to New Community Health Opportunities and Recovery (ANCHOR) Act, the Delivering Support for Hospitals (DSH) in Tennessee Act, and the Medicaid Primary Care Improvement Act.\n\n\u201cTennessee is leading the way when it comes to Medicaid innovation, and these bills would expand that effort to improve the lives of Tennesseans,\u201d said Senator Blackburn. \u201cThis package would strengthen support for our hospitals, give states the flexibility to use more effective primary care models, and allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to those battling serious mental illness or substance use disorder.\u201d\n\nTHE ANCHOR ACT\n\nThe ANCHOR Act would:\n\nCreate a state plan option to provide Medicaid coverage to those suffering from severe mental illness or substance use disorder for a period of up to one year; and\n\nRequire states to create a care plan for individuals within 60 days of enrollment.\n\nThe ANCHOR Act is endorsed by Mental Health America (MHA), the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD), National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI),Tennessee Hospital Association, Texas Academy of Family Physicians, and the Texas Hospital Association:\n\n\u201cMental Health America commends Congressman Pfluger and Senator Blackburn for their leadership in introducing the ANCHOR Act,\u201d said Tim Clement, Vice President of Federal Government Affairs at Mental Health America. \u201cPeople with serious mental illnesses and substance use disorders who lack insurance coverage are at great risk of suicide and overdose, and this bill will help them receive treatment and begin their journey to recovery.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe ANCHOR Act provides states with a means to expand Medicaid coverage for uninsured individuals facing significant behavioral health issues, guaranteeing timely and coordinated care to enhance health outcomes,\u201d said Brian Hepburn, M.D., Executive Director for National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD).\n\nTHE DSH IN TENNESSEE ACT\n\nTennessee is the only state without permanent Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) funding, which provides payments to hospitals that treat large numbers of low-income patients. The DSH in Tennessee Act would:\n\nFix the long-standing issue where Tennessee had to rely on carveouts instead of a stable federal DSH allotment by giving Tennessee a permanent DSH allotment starting in fiscal year 2026; and\n\nIncrease Tennessee\u2019s DSH enrollment every year to keep pace with inflation.\n\nClick here for bill text.\n\nTHE MEDICAID PRIMARY CARE IMPROVEMENT ACT\n\nThe Medicaid Primary Care Improvement Act would:\n\nAllow states to use Medicaid dollars to pay for Direct Primary Care Arrangements (DPC), which are fixed, monthly membership-style payments that cover a defined set of primary care services by giving the option for states to contract with DPC practices.\n\nThis would expand healthcare access for Medicaid beneficiaries and improve health outcomes, reduce emergency room visits, and save unnecessary medical costs.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2025/12/health care/blackburn-introduces-bills-to-support-and-expand-tennessee-s-medicaid-innovation"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8156439289450645, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}