Senate approves S.B. 338 extending postpartum Medicaid coverage from six months to a year
The Senate passed S.B. 338 by Sen. Dean Burke, M.D. (R-Bainbridge) and S.B. 342 by Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick, M.D. (R-Marietta). S.B. 338 would expand postpartum Medicaid coverage from six months to twelve months and S.B. 342 would codify “Mental Health Parity.” MAG supports both measures with both measures now going to the House HHS Committee.
The House passed H.B. 430 by Rep. Alan Powell (R-Hartwell), an APRN licensure update, and H.B. 412 by Rep. Katie Dempsey (R-Rome), licensure for Applied Behavior Analysts. MAG is neutral on both bills.
Key Bills Passed by Committees
The House HHS Committee passed several bills that MAG supports. H.R. 629 by Rep. Darlene Taylor (R-Thomasville) that would create the House State Health Benefit Plan Study Committee. H.B. 918 by Rep. Mike Cheokas (R-Americus) that would create the Georgia Rare Disease Advisory Council. H.B. 1086 by Rep. Katie Dempsey (R-Rome) that would lower the age to 50 years old for hospitals to offer inpatients vaccinations for the influenza virus prior to discharge. H.B. 1192 by Rep. Sharon Cooper (R-Marietta) that would require the Department of Community Health to submit a Section 1115 waiver request to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for a demonstration project to provide treatment services under Medicaid to persons in this state living with HIV.
The House HHS Committee also passed H.B. 1092, which MAG is neutral on, and would require that women who have been arrested are offered pregnancy testing upon detention and would also provide deferment of confinement for pregnant women unless the woman poses a significant threat or danger to any person.
The Senate HHS Committee passed two bills. S.B. 456 by Sen. Bruce Thompson (R-White) seeks to implement requirements for prescribing “abortion-inducing drugs” including an in-person visit before a physician. MAG will continue to work with the legislature to try to bring the bill in-line with evidence-based practice and MAG policy.
The Committee also passed S.B. 403 by Sen. Ben Watson, M.D. that would pair mental health professionals with law enforcement to respond to certain calls that may benefit from the training of the mental health professional. MAG supports this legislation.
Key Bills Introduced
The House Insurance Life & Health Subcommittee heard testimony but did not take action on two bills. H.B. 1003 by Erick Allen (D-Smyrna) and S.B. 330 by Sen. John Albers (R-Roswell). H.B. 1003 would prevent the Department of Community Health from entering into or renewing any contract with an otherwise qualified entity for the State Health Benefit Plan who has either terminated early without cause or forced a renegotiation of an unexpired contract with a Georgia-based hospital or health care system within the prior 24 months, unless the qualified entity is the only available qualified entity. S.B. 330 seeks to remove barriers to living organ donation. MAG supports both bills.
Rep. Lee Hawkins (R-Gainesville) introduced H.B. 1304 to require that hospitals provide patients the opportunity to identify a lay caregiver to provide aftercare assistance to the patient in the event the patient is discharged from the hospital. MAG is reviewing this legislation.
Rep. Beth Camp (R-Concord) introduced H.B. 1324, which 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.
Sen. Randy Robertson (R-Cataula) introduced S.B. 484 that would provide workers' compensation coverage for first responders for post-traumatic stress disorder arising in the course and scope of employment. MAG is watching this legislation, which was assigned to the Senate Insurance & Labor Committee.
S.B. 489 was introduced by Sen. Sheila McNeill (R-Brunswick) and would require that diagnostic breast examinations not be treated less favorably than screening mammography for breast cancer with respect to cost-sharing requirements. MAG supports this legislation.
