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Legislative update: Sine Die

Sine Die

The 2022 Georgia legislative session is over, but we are not finished! 

Monday was Sine Die at the Georgia General Assembly – the last day of the 2022 legislative session. This year’s session saw the passage of several bills that will impact Georgians’ access to health care and the overall health of the state. These bills included the Childhood Lead Exposure Control Act; easing of prior authorization requirements for people with chronic medications; increasing postpartum Medicaid coverage; the addition of mental health and substance use emergencies to Georgia’s surprise billing protections; and much more.

These bills now move to the Governor’s desk for his consideration and signature. The Governor has 40 days to sign or veto bills. We will continue to monitor these bills through the mid-May deadline. For the bills that become law, state agencies like the Department of Insurance will then figure out how to put them into practice.

Check out our summary of the more notable health bills of the 2022 session below and a full list of health care-related legislation at GHF’s legislative tracker.

Legislative update: Week 12 – Part 2

In this week’s update:

• Action Alerts! 
• On the Governor’s desk!
• On the move!
• Other notable developments
• Advocacy Days this week
• GHF’s got you covered this session

ACTION ALERT:

CALL SENATE RULES COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABOUT THESE BILLS!

Ask the Senate Rules Committee to send the Quality Basic Education Act to the Senate for a vote!

The Quality Basic Education Act, HB 1283, will be heard in the Senate Rules Committee. This bill would provide recess for students in kindergarten through fifth grade on all school days (except on days when they have other physical education class or other structured physical activities). Children have been proven to perform best academically, behaviorally, and socially when schools adopt physical activity policies such as recess.

Call or email members of the Senate Rules Committee and urge them to vote YES. 

Legislative update: Week 12



In this week’s update:

• Action Alert: TODAY: Ask the Senate HHS committee to pass the Georgia Mental Health Parity Act! 
• Final Countdown! 
• On the Governor’s desk!
• Waiting in Rules Committee…
• Coming up this week
• Senate passes FY23 budget
• Advocacy Days this week
• GHF’s got you covered this session

THE SENATE HHS COMMITTEE NEEDS TO HEAR YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE GEORGIA MENTAL HEALTH PARITY ACT!

TODAY: Ask the Senate Health and Human Services Committee to vote YES on the Mental Health Parity Act! 

The Senate Health & Human Services Committee held several hearings on the Georgia Mental Health Parity Act last week. Unfortunately, the hearings were muddied by misinformation about what is in the bill and how it would impact Georgians.

The truth is the Georgia Mental Health Parity Act (GMHPA) would make mental health & substance use (MH/SU) services easier to access and afford in our state. It would put recovery in reach for many more Georgians. Here’s a fact sheet that explains the major parts of the bill.

The GMHPA is expected to receive a vote this afternoon or early this week. You can help ensure it passes with strong support by calling or emailing the committee members and asking them to unanimously pass the bill!

Then ask your state Senator to support the bill!

Now is the time! Please call or email legislators to say why you support this bill and to ask for their strong support too.

Legislative update: Week 10

In this week’s update:

• Action Alert: Call your State Senator to pass HB 1355! 
• Crossover Day Bill Recap
• Advocacy Days coming up!
• GHF’s got you covered this session!

ACTION ALERT: CALL YOUR STATE SENATOR TO PROTECT CHILDREN

Ask the Senate Health and Human Services Committee to vote YES on the Childhood Lead Exposure Control Act!

The Childhood Led Exposure Control Act, HB 1355, will be heard again in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee this Wednesday at 1pm. HB 1355 would help protect children’s health. This bill would:

• Update Georgia law to align blood level recommendations with CDC guidelines for children
• Aid the early identification of children with elevated blood lead levels so that remediation can occur to reduce harm and prevent future exposure 
• Protect children under 6 from lead exposure found in the interior and exteriors of rental housing, schools, and daycare centers
• Provide for scientifically based standards for the removal of lead hazards

Call or email Senate committee members on the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and urge them to vote YES. 

Legislative update: Week 9

In this week’s update:

• House passes the Mental Health Parity Act! 
• A check-in on the state budget and Crossover Day is Tuesday!
• Bills you may not have seen yet
• Legislation on the move!
• GHF’s got you covered this session!

MENTAL HEALTH PARITY ACT PASSED THE HOUSE!

The Georgia Mental Health Parity Act passed the House last week! 

The Georgia Mental Health Parity Act (GMHPA) passed the House last Tuesday with an overwhelming & bi-partisan 169-3 vote. The bill has been referred to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, and will receive its first Senate hearing today, March 14th, at 3pm. 

The GMHPA is a big bill so the Senate HHS committee will likely hold several hearings before voting on it. While our Senators hear and debate the bill, you can help. Call or email committee members and ask them to keep “parity” in the Georgia Mental Health Parity Act.

Parity means fair or equal. It’s time for health insurance companies to play fair. The Georgia Mental Health Parity Act would put in place strong, fair rules so Georgians get the mental health & addiction coverage we need (and pay for).

Want to do more?

• Share this fact sheet about the GMHPA with your networks
• Tell your Senator that you support the GMHPA and they should too.

Legislative update: Week 8

In this week’s update:

• Action Alert: Ask your state representative to support the Mental Health Parity Act! 
• A check-in on the state budget and Crossover Day coming soon!
• Bills you may not have seen yet
• Legislation on the move!
• Advocacy events for your calendar: AIDSWatch in Georgia, the Georgia work credit & Medicaid expansion!
• GHF’s got you covered this session!

Legislative update: Week 7

In this week’s update:

• Action Alert: You still have time to contact the House HHS committee to support the Mental Health Parity Act! 
• A check-in on the state budget
• Legislation about increasing coverage for Georgians with HIV, vaping ban, a bill banning COVID-19 vaccine “passports” passes out of the Senate, and much more! 
• Advocacy events for your calendar: President Biden’s State of the Union address & the Georgia work credit
• GHF’s got you covered this session!

Legislative update: Week 6

In this week’s update:

• Action Alert: Ask (again) the House HHS committee to support the Mental Health Parity Act!
• Legislation about increasing coverage for Georgians with HIV, greater transparency for state health plans, and a hearing for a bill banning COVID-19 vaccine “passports”! 
• Advocacy events for your calendar: Housing, substance use, & the Georgia work credit
• GHF’s got you covered this session!

Legislative update: Week 5

In this week’s update:

• Action Alert: Ask the House HHS committee to support the Mental Health Parity Act this Wednesday!
• Legislation about private insurance coverage of mental health & substance use, attempts to ban abortion-inducing medication in the mail, and allowing Medicaid members to receive treatment in certain in-patient mental health settings! 
• Advocacy events for your calendar
• GHF’s got you covered this session!

Whether you struggle with an illness like depression or addiction yourself or a person in your life does, we are all witness to the life-changing impacts of mental illness and substance use disorders. However, accessing the necessary care and treatment to manage mental illness and substance use disorders is too difficult for some Georgia families. 

According to the Mental Health Association of Georgia, Georgia ranks 48^th out of 50 states and D.C. for access to mental health care, resources, and insurance. Two in five Georgia children have trouble accessing the mental health treatment they need.

For years, Georgia’s mental health and substance use advocates have been working to improve access to services. While several policy wins have been achieved, the resulting changes have been modest and have not erased the biggest barriers to care. 

This year is different. State legislators and advocates have named 2022 the “year of mental health.” Leaders have committed to improving access to mental health and substance use services for Georgia families. 

The legislature has moved quickly on its commitment. On January 26^th, House Speaker David Ralston introduced the Mental Health Parity Act. The Mental Health Parity Act is a landmark bill covering many aspects of mental health and substance use care. Topics covered in the bill range from how insurers must cover treatment to increasing the mental health and substance use provider workforce to creating mental health response teams around the state. 

One of the central parts of the bill is mental health parity. Mental health parity means treating mental health and substance use services the same as physical health services, especially in how insurance companies cover these benefits. Insurers sometimes put limits on the number and types of mental health and substance use treatments that are covered but do not put those same limits on physical health treatments (like getting a broken arm fixed). This unequal treatment means that Georgians who need mental health and substance use services may have a more difficult time getting treatment and pay more for their treatment. 

The Mental Health Parity Act would require insurers in Georgia to cover mental health and substance use just as they cover physical health. The bill would require private health insurers and Medicaid insurers to submit data showing that their approval and denial of mental health and substance use benefits is no more restrictive than benefits for physical care. The bill would require the state agencies that oversee private insurance and Medicaid to make it easier for consumers to file complaints if they believe their insurer is not covering mental health and substance use fairly. It will also create a full-time position dedicated to examining the data that insurers submit to make sure they are actually following the law. These measures will ensure the state has accurate data on how insurers cover these important benefits and allow the state to take action against insurers for violations. 

The bill also includes steps to increase the number of behavioral health and substance use providers throughout the state, especially in rural areas. One such step is student loan forgiveness options for students training as mental health and substance use providers. Two other changes would increase Medicaid payments for certain providers, and improve data collection so state leaders will better understand the true workforce shortages. 

Georgians for a Healthy Future applauds Speaker Ralston for his leadership on the Mental Health Parity Act. We support the strong provisions in the bill. The Mental Health Parity Act has been referred to the House Health and Human Services Committee, which Representative Sharon Cooper chairs. GHF will continue to provide updates as the bill moves through the legislature and look forward to working with our elected leaders to ensure all Georgia families can access the life-saving mental health and substance use treatment they need. 

Want to know more? Check out this fact sheet that summarizes key pieces of the Mental health Parity Act. Share it with your family, friends, and social media networks!

Do you have a story to share about difficulties accessing mental health or substance use treatment? Share your story here. Your story can power the changes that Georgians need!