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№ 01 SERVING TN

Medical Billing Services in Tennessee

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee anchors Tennessee's commercial payer mix, and any practice that mishandles its fee schedule, modifier rules, or appeal deadlines bleeds revenue every quarter. TennCare routes members through a 365-day timely-filing window — a clock that disciplines our entire Tennessee claim queue. Tennessee Code 56-32-226 requires insurers to pay clean electronic claims within 21 days and paper claims within 30 days, giving providers a real lever when payers stall on clean submissions. We run Tennessee claim queues with payer-segmented edits, MCO portal automation for BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, and appeal letter templates drafted against the actual citations Tennessee regulators enforce.

18,000+
Licensed Physicians
Active licensed physicians in Tennessee as of 2024
1.7M
TennCare Enrollment
TennCare (Tennessee Medicaid) managed care enrollment
95%
Clean Claim Rate
Average clean claim submission rate for MedPrecision Tennessee clients (MedPrecision client data, 2024).
55+
Practices Served
MedPrecision clients across the state of Tennessee (MedPrecision client data, 2024).

The Tennessee Billing Landscape

Tennessee pioneered Medicaid managed care with TennCare, launched in 1994 as one of the first statewide Medicaid managed care programs in the nation. TennCare currently contracts with BlueCare Tennessee (BCBS), Amerigroup, and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan. Tennessee has not expanded Medicaid under the ACA, leaving a coverage gap. The commercial market is led by BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, and Aetna. Nashville is the unofficial capital of the for-profit healthcare industry, with HCA Healthcare, Community Health Systems, and Envision Healthcare all headquartered there, creating unique dynamics where major hospital operators and health plans interact in the same market. Tennessee's prompt pay law requires clean claims to be paid within 21 days for electronic submissions — among the strictest in the country. Memphis has a high Medicaid population and significant health disparities, while East Tennessee's market is shaped by Covenant Health and Ballad Health (the nation's first approved COPA hospital merger). The state mandates telehealth parity for commercial payers. Tennessee's diverse geography creates distinct billing environments from urban Nashville and Memphis to rural Appalachian communities. The state's for-profit healthcare culture means aggressive payer negotiations and a strong focus on revenue tuning.

Who We Serve in Tennessee

Our Tennessee client mix skews toward solo practices, group practices, pediatric practices , plus family practice groups and telehealth providers. We work with providers in Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville and across the rest of the state, all remotely.

Solo Practices Group Practices Pediatric Practices Family Practice Groups Telehealth Providers

Major Metros Served

Nashville Memphis Knoxville Chattanooga Clarksville

Payer Landscape in Tennessee

TennCare (Tennessee Medicaid managed care) routes members through BlueCare Tennessee, Amerigroup, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, each with its own authorization rules and fee schedule. On the commercial side, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna drive the bulk of Tennessee claim volume, so we maintain payer-specific denial playbooks and appeal templates for each. Claim clocks in Tennessee run 365 days for Medicaid and 90-180 days for commercial payers — deadlines our A/R queues are built around. Tennessee's prompt-pay statute: Tennessee Code 56-32-226 requires insurers to pay clean electronic claims within 21 days and paper claims within 30 days. Late payments incur interest penalties.

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Medicaid Program

TennCare (Tennessee Medicaid managed care)

Managed Care Organizations

BlueCare TennesseeAmerigroupUnitedHealthcare Community Plan
business

Key Commercial Payers

BlueCross BlueShield of TennesseeUnitedHealthcareAetnaCignaHumana
schedule

Timely Filing Deadlines

Medicaid365 days
Commercial Payers90-180 days
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Prompt Pay Law

Tennessee Code 56-32-226 requires insurers to pay clean electronic claims within 21 days and paper claims within 30 days. Late payments incur interest penalties.

Tennessee Billing Regulations & Compliance

The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance sets the rules our Tennessee billing workflows have to satisfy. Surprise billing in Tennessee: Federal No Surprises Act applies. Tennessee has limited additional state-level surprise billing protections. Telehealth parity: Tennessee requires commercial insurers to cover telehealth under SB 800. Medicaid (TennCare) covers telehealth including audio-only services.

policy

State Insurance Regulator

Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance

receipt_long

Surprise Billing Protection

Federal No Surprises Act applies. Tennessee has limited additional state-level surprise billing protections.

videocam

Telehealth Billing Parity

Tennessee requires commercial insurers to cover telehealth under SB 800. Medicaid (TennCare) covers telehealth including audio-only services.

Common Questions

Common questions about medical billing services in Tennessee.

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How does MedPrecision handle TennCare MCO billing?

We manage billing for all TennCare MCOs including BlueCare Tennessee, Amerigroup, and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan. Each MCO has specific authorization requirements, formulary rules, and claim submission processes. Our team ensures your TennCare claims meet each MCO's requirements for faster payment and fewer denials.

How does Nashville's healthcare market affect billing for local practices?

Nashville is home to major healthcare corporations including HCA Healthcare, Community Health Systems, and numerous specialty groups, creating a competitive market with sophisticated payer negotiations. Our team understands the Nashville market dynamics, including the influence of large health systems on fee schedules and the commercial payer landscape that local practices must navigate.

What are Tennessee's prompt pay requirements?

Tennessee law requires insurers to pay clean claims within 30 days of receipt for electronic submissions. Our team tracks every claim against this deadline, follows up on delayed payments, and pursues interest penalties when payers violate Tennessee's prompt pay statutes to protect your revenue.

Does MedPrecision support pediatric billing in Tennessee?

Yes. Tennessee has a strong pediatric care focus, and our billers are experienced with well-child visit coding, vaccine administration billing, developmental screening codes, and TennCare's pediatric-specific coverage rules. We help pediatric practices capture full reimbursement for every visit while staying compliant with TennCare guidelines.

What happens if a payer misses the Tennessee prompt-pay deadline?

Tennessee Code 56-32-226 requires insurers to pay clean electronic claims within 21 days and paper claims within 30 days. Late payments incur interest penalties. We track every clean claim against these Tennessee-specific deadlines, flag stalled payments in our A/R reports, and escalate to the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance when a payer defaults. Medicaid claims run a 365-day timely-filing window, commercial claims run 90-180 days — we build follow-up cadences around both.

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See where denials, follow-up delays, or workflow gaps may be hurting your Tennessee practice's collections.

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