Senate passes S.B. 341 providing guidelines for the prior authorization of prescribed medication for chronic conditions requiring ongoing medication therapy under certain circumstances
The Senate passed S.B. 341 by Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick, M.D., which would provide guidelines for the prior authorization of a prescribed medication for chronic conditions requiring ongoing medication therapy under certain circumstances. MAG supports this measure.
Key Bills Passed by Committees
The House Health & Human Services Committee passed three bills: H.B. 1186 and H.B. 1219 by Rep. Penny Houston (R-Nashville) and H.B. 1276 by Rep. Lee Hawkins (R-Gainesville). H.B. 1186 would change the age of initial identification of communication disorders from under three months to birth to 22 years of age and H.B. 1129 would expand the Georgia Board of Dentistry. MAG is neutral on both of these bills. H.B. 1276 would require that statistical reports with data relating to state health plans be posted on the Department of Community Health website. MAG supports this legislation.
The House Insurance Committee passed H.B. 1324 by Rep. Beth Camp (R-Concord), which would clarify that the prudent layperson standard is not affected by the diagnoses given as far as it relates to insurance coverage. MAG supports this legislation.
First Hearing Held on Mental Health Omnibus Bill
The House HHS Committee also heard testimony on, but took no action on, H.B. 1013 by Rep. David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) the omnibus mental health legislation. This legislation includes mental health parity and provisions related to workforce development, involuntary commitment, mental health courts and corrections, child and adolescent mental health, and data collection. MAG supports this legislation.
Key Bills Introduced
Rep. Bonnie Rich (R-Suwanee) introduced H.B. 1348 that would prohibit vaping in designated smoke-free areas. MAG supports this legislation, which was referred to the House HHS Committee.
H.B. 1351 was introduced by Rep. David Knight (R-Griffin) and would require that the Department of Community Health provide the pharmacy benefits for care management organization's enrolled members and prohibit care management organizations from providing pharmacy benefits for their enrolled members. MAG is reviewing this legislation, which was referred to the House Special Committee on Access to Quality Health Care.
H.B. 1355 was introduced by Rep. Katie Dempsey (R-Rome) and would update the state’s lead guidelines to bring them in line with nationally recognized guidelines. MAG supports this legislation, which was referred to the House HHS Committee.
Rep. Rick Jasperse (R-Jasper) introduce H.B. 1371, which would create the Rural Health Advancement Commission. MAG is reviewing this legislation, which was referred to the House Special Committee on Access to Quality Health Care.
H.B. 1400 was introduced by Rep. Alan Powell (R-Hartwell), which would increase the number of licenses issued by the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission from a limit of four Class 1 licenses to nine and from four Class 2 licenses to nineteen with an aggregate limit of twenty-two licenses. This bill would also subject the Commission to open records. MAG’s Task Force on Medical Cannabis is reviewing this legislation, which was referred to the House Regulated Industries Committee.
H.B. 1403 was introduced by Rep. Clint Crowe (R-Jackson) and would exempt acute care hospitals established in rural counties that meet certain criteria from certificate of need (CON) requirements. MAG is reviewing this legislation, which has not yet been referred to a committee.
S.B. 496 was introduced by Sen. Dean Burke, M.D. (R-Bainbridge). This legislation would require a medical examiner’s inquiry after the death or a pregnant woman or a woman who was pregnant within 365 days prior to such female's death and would also define the term “unattended by a physician” for the purposes of medical examiner’s inquiry as a patient who has not been seen by a physician within 180 days prior to death. MAG is working with stakeholders to revise the definition of “unattended by a physician” further so as to address nuances in patient care. This bill was assigned to the Senate HHS Committee.
Sen. Chuck Hufstetler (R-Rome) introduced S.B. 518, which would require all health insurers to pass along no less than 80 percent of all prescription drug rebates to enrollees. MAG supports this legislation, which was assigned to the Senate Insurance & Labor Committee.
Sen. Randy Robertson (R-Cataula) introduced S.B. 525 that would provide for the licensure of pathologists' assistants under the Composite Medical Board. MAG opposes this legislation, which was referred to the Senate HHS Committee.
