House passes key health care bills
The Georgia House of Representatives passed four noteworthy health care bills this week, including…
– H.B. 161 by Rep. Betty Price, M.D. (R-Roswell), a measure that would allow an employee or agent of a registered syringe services program to sell, lend, rent, lease, give, exchange or otherwise distribute a syringe or needle. MAG supports this bill.
– H.B. 769 by Rep. Rick Jasperse (R-Jasper), an omnibus bill that would 1) “relax certain restrictions on remote order entries for hospital pharmacies” and 2) require the Georgia Department of Community Health to streamline the billing and credentialing process for new physicians and 3) establish a rural center for health care innovation and sustainability under the umbrella of the existing Office of Rural Health to provide leadership training and health data analysis for rural hospitals and allow for the easier creation of micro-hospitals (i.e., those with two to seven beds that provide stabilization services 24/7) and 4) create a grant program to provide insurance premium assistance for physicians practicing in medically underserved areas. MAG is tracking this legislation.
– H.B. 782 by Rep. Trey Rhodes (R-Greensboro), a bill that would 1) eliminate a requirement for non-licensed user delegates to register with Georgia’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) on an annual basis and 2) allow the Georgia Department of Public Health to share data from the Georgia PDMP with other states. MAG supports this measure.
– H.B. 646 by Rep. Katie Dempsey (R-Rome), a measure that would extend a pilot program to offer bariatric surgery through the State Health Benefit Plan. MAG supports this legislation.
– H.B. 847 by Joyce Chandler (R-Grayson), a bill to have Georgia join the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact – which “facilitates telehealth and temporary in-person, face-to-face [care] across jurisdictional boundaries.” MAG is neutral.
These bills will now move into the Senate.