STATE LAW – TENNESSEE LIBRARY – GUIDE 21
Tennessee MedPay, Hospital Liens, Subrogation & Reimbursement
Tennessee medical-expense recovery can involve optional MedPay, health-plan reimbursement, subrogation, Medicare or Medicaid interests, and statutory hospital liens. Qualifying hospital liens generally attach to personal-injury recoveries subject to statutory limits and priority rules.
Separate MedPay from hospital liens and health-plan reimbursement
If optional MedPay exists, obtain the endorsement, insured definition, limit and payment ledger. Separately identify health insurance, Medicare/Medicaid, ERISA and other reimbursement claims because each can have a different legal basis.
Tennessee hospital liens are limited to one-third of the recovery
Sections 29-22-101 and 29-22-104 provide Tennessee’s hospital-lien framework. A qualifying hospital lien is limited to no more than one-third of damages recovered and is subordinate to attorney liens.
Lien perfection and reasonableness still matter
A hospital still must satisfy statutory perfection/notice requirements, and the lien extends only to qualifying reasonable and necessary charges. Franks v. Sykes provides modern Supreme Court guidance on Tennessee lien operation and challenges.
Do not distribute before resolving valid repayment claims
Before distributing a settlement, request lien notices, itemized charges, payment ledgers and the legal basis for every reimbursement demand. Settling around a perfected hospital lien can create impairment exposure.
Current-law review: October 4, 2026. Verify the accident-date policy, current primary authority, later case treatment, and claim-specific deadlines before legal reliance.
PUBLIC-INTEREST LEGAL EDUCATION
VictimsGuide does not provide legal services or create an attorney-client relationship. Insurance requirements, deadlines, remedies and controlling authority can change. Verify current primary authority, policy language and the law applicable to the particular event before legal reliance.
Authorities and source notes
- Tennessee hospital lien statutes — Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 29-22-101, 29-22-104
- Franks v. Sykes — 600 S.W.3d 908 (Tenn. 2020)
Registry authority mapping and cited propositions reviewed October 4, 2026. Canonical source preservation and formal subsequent-history review remain maintenance items where noted.
Citizen crossroads