Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 27.

This bill grants public hospitals the authority, upon approval of the hospital's governing body, to establish a state employee and retiree healthcare incentive program that will allow for the waiver of any or all applicable out-of-pocket expenses associated with medical, surgical, or mental health care at the public hospital, including deductibles, copays, and co-insurance, for state employees and retirees and their covered dependents participating in the state group insurance plan. A "state employee" under this bill includes, but is not limited to, a university employee and an employee under the state board of regents. As used in this bill, a "public hospital" is a hospital, including any surgery or outpatient clinic operated by the hospital, that is owned by a governmental entity; a local hospital authority; a metropolitan hospital authority; metropolitan private act hospital authority; or private act hospital. ON APRIL 17, 2024, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND RESET SENATE BILL 2007, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill as follows: (1) Authorizes public hospitals, upon approval of the hospital's governing body, to establish a state employee and retiree healthcare incentive program that will allow for the waiver of applicable out-of-pocket expenses associated with medical, surgical, or mental health care at the public hospital, including deductibles, except those deductibles associated with a high deductible plan, copays, and co-insurance, for state employees and retirees and their covered dependents participating in the state group insurance plan under the bill; and (2) Establishes that a "public hospital" means a hospital located in Shelby or Davidson County, and that is owned by a metropolitan hospital authority created under the Metropolitan Hospital Authority Act.