New Bill Aims to Create Georgia’s First Community Health Worker Certification Program
This week, lawmakers introduced House Bill 291, a bill that would create a state certification process for Community Health Workers (CHWs) in Georgia. CHWs are trusted public health professionals who connect Georgians, especially those in underserved communities, to health care and essential services. People know them by titles such as Patient Navigator, Community Health Advocate, and Promotora de Salud. CHWs play a vital role in improving health outcomes, delivering culturally-relevant information and care, and addressing social determinants of health like housing, transportation, and food insecurity.
HB 291 would help build a skilled and stable CHW workforce by establishing a certification process. The bill expands CHW’s ability to serve in various health care and community settings. HB 291 could also pave the way for Georgia Medicaid to reimburse CHWs in more settings and roles. Currently, Medicaid only covers CHW services provided through the Resource Mothers program, which supports certain pregnant and postpartum individuals. Certification could allow Medicaid to fund CHW services in more health care teams, public health programs, and care coordination efforts statewide.
If passed, HB 291 would recognize CHWs as essential members of Georgia’s health care system. It would ensure they have the training, support, and financial sustainability needed to continue their work.
This is one of GHF’s 2025-2026 legislative priorities, and we support this bill. We’ll keep tracking HB 291 and advocating for strong policies that support CHWs and expand access to care. Keep reading for more updates!
Highlights from the House Passage of the Amended Fiscal Year (AFY) Budget
This week, the House passed its version of the Amended Year 2025 (AY25) budget (HB 67). This budget adjusts current state funding through June 30th, 2025. Below is a summary of the key changes the House made to the Governor’s recommendations. The Senate Appropriations Committee will begin meeting next week to review the House’s budget proposal and make any changes to it that they deem necessary.
Key Differences Between the Governor’s Recommendation and the House Budget Proposal
Department of Community Health
Departmental Administration
House added $685k to develop a pilot program to use AI modeling to detect potential fraud, waste, and abuse. (Gov’s Rec: $0, House:$685k).
Note: The vast majority of fraud cases stem from healthcare providers submitting inaccurate or inflated claims. Additionally, most “waste” in Medicaid spending is due to excessive administrative spending or poorly documented support for payments rather than intentional overspending
Medicaid & PeachCare Adjustments:
Based on projected use of care and services by Medicaid members:
House reduced low-income Medicaid funding by $6.6 million more than the Governor’s recommendation (Gov’s Rec: -$85.3M, House: -$91.4M).
House increased Aged, Blind, & Disabled Medicaid funding for growth by $7.3 million less than the Governor (Gov’s Rec: $45.99M, House: $38.6M).
Based on projected use of care and services by PeachCare (Children’s Health Insurance Program) members:
House cut an additional $358K in funding compared to the Governor’s budget (Gov’s Rec: -$16.1M, House: -$16.5M).
Health Care Access & Infrastructure:
Rural & Critical Access Hospital Support:
House added $35.6M in one-time grants for 45 rural hospitals to recover from Hurricane Helene (Gov’s Rec: $0, House: $35.6M).
Graduate Medical Education:
House added $12.5M in startup funds for new medical education programs (Gov’s Rec: $0, House: $12.5M).
Department of Public Health
Health Promotion & Prevention:
Cancer & Vaping Awareness Campaigns:
House added $250K each for colorectal cancer awareness and anti-vaping campaigns (Gov’s Rec: $0, House: $500K total).
Emergency & Trauma Services:
Local Health Department Equipment:
House added $500K in one-time funds for county health department equipment (Gov’s Rec: $0, House: $500K).
Note: Federal funding makes up nearly half of DPH’s $853 million budget in the current fiscal year.
Department of Human Services
Elder & Disability Services:
Medicaid Caseworker Salary Increase:
House added $1.44M for eligibility caseworker salary enhancements (Gov’s Rec: $0, House: $1.44M). This is one of GHF’s priorities!
Department of Insurance
Reinsurance program adjustments:
House reduced funding by $5.5M for reinsurance due to lower-than-expected claims (Gov’s Rec: $205.8M, House: $200.3M).
Potential Impact
✅ Expanded rural hospital funding: House added $35M for rural and critical access hospitals to improve rural health care stability. ✅ Increased investment in the health care workforce: New medical education funds ($12.5M) and rural workforce initiatives to improve access by attempting to increase the number of health care providers in Georgia. ✅ Public health awareness investments: House added $500K for anti-vaping and colorectal cancer awareness campaigns.
⚠ Medicaid funding reductions: The House cut Medicaid utilization funding more than the Governor’s budget—these cuts reflect a decline in Medicaid recipients using health care services, which could reflect barriers to care that need to be addressed.
Pathways to Coverage Waiver Renewal: Public Comment Opportunity
The clock is ticking! The public comment period for the Pathways to Coverage waiver extension closes on February 20, 2025, and your voice is needed now more than ever.
Pathways has struggled to meet its goals of meaningfully increasing access to care for low-income Georgians, enrolling only 6,500 participants in a year and a half. That is just 3% of those who would benefit from full Medicaid expansion. Even with DCH’s proposed changes, Pathways will continue to leave far too many Georgians behind.
Who’s still left out?
Georgians with unpredictable schedules and inconsistent hours (including part-time, domestic, seasonal, and rural workers) who may struggle to meet the program’s strict administrative requirements.
Parents or other full-time caregivers of children ages 6 and older, and Georgians caring for adult family members full time. Georgia does not recognize their caregiving as a qualifying activity.
Georgians with chronic conditions, who may be awaiting a disability determination, recovering from a serious illness or injury, or experiencing a mental health crisis that makes it difficult or impossible to meet the requirements for qualifying activities.
People facing housing instability or language barriers, who may face administrative challenges that make accessing care even harder.
Pathways still puts up unnecessary barriers to care, leaving too many Georgians without the coverage they need. Now is the time to demand real solutions that expand access and remove these restrictions.
How You Can Help—Before Time Runs Out:
Attend the Next Public Hearing:
TODAY: February 10, 2025 | 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM ET (Join via Zoom)
Submit a Public Comment via Email:
Make your voice heard by sharing your input via email to advocate for expanding Medicaid eligibility and removing barriers. Simply click the button below to write your comment, and we’ll ensure it reaches the Georgia Department of Community Health.
Mail Your Public Comment(Must be postmarked by February 20, 2025.)
Mail to: Shawn Walker, c/o Department of Community Health, P.O. Box 1966, Atlanta, GA 30301-1966
With 10 days left, now is the time to make your voice heard. Let’s push for a Medicaid program that works for more Georgians.
Thank you for taking action!
Legislation on Our Radar
SENATE BILLS
SB 39 – Ban on Coverage of Gender-Affirming Care in State-Funded Health Insurance Plans
Status: Passed out of Senate Labor and Insurance Committee with amendments (2/4/25) Summary: SB 39 would prohibit the use of state funds to cover gender-affirming care, including hormone therapy and sex reassignment surgery, for individuals enrolled in state-funded health plans or receiving public assistance. The bill also bans state-owned health care facilities and state-employed providers from offering gender-affirming care.
Key details:
The bill applies to all state-funded health plans, including the State Health Benefit Plan (which covers public employees, teachers, and retirees) and Medicaid.
It explicitly bans coverage of gender-affirming care, such as hormone therapy and surgical procedures intended to support an individual’s gender transition.
Exceptions are allowed for:
Medical treatments unrelated to gender dysphoria.
Individuals with medically verifiable disorders of sex development (such as intersex conditions).
Individuals with partial androgen insensitivity syndrome or similar conditions.
No state health care facility or state-employed health care provider may provide gender-affirming care, even if the patient pays out of pocket.
Potential Impact: SB 39 would significantly restrict access to gender-affirming care for Georgians who serve the public by working as teachers, public health professionals, forest rangers, and other government positions, as well as Georgians receiving public assistance.
Potential effects include: ⚠️ Limited health care access for transgender adults and children who are covered by state-funded health insurance. ⚠️ Increased financial burden on affected individuals, as they may have to pay out of pocket or seek private insurance to cover care. ⚠️ Legal and ethical concerns may mean the bill faces legal challenges related to discrimination and medical autonomy.
GHF’s Position: No position Sponsor:Sen. John Kennedy Status: Introduced and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee Summary: SB68 proposes major changes to Georgia’s civil justice system by limiting certain types of damages, changing rules for lawsuits, and adjusting legal procedures related to personal injury cases, insurance claims, and liability disputes. The bill includes major changes to Georgia’s medical malpractice laws and how lawsuits against health care providers and insurers are handled. The changes to medical malpractice aim to limit the costs of medical malpractice lawsuits, reduce liability for health care providers, and adjust how damages are awarded in personal injury and medical negligence cases.
Key details:
Limits on medical damages: Medical expense damages in lawsuits would be limited to actual amounts paid instead of billed amounts. This means plaintiffs would only be eligible to recover what was paid for medical treatment rather than the amount a provider originally charged.
New rules for medical malpractice cases: Lawsuits would be split into two phases—first, to determine if a provider is liable, and then to decide how much can be awarded in damages.
Limits on pain and suffering damages: Attorneys will be prohibited from requesting specific dollar amounts for pain and suffering damages in front of a jury, potentially reducing large non-economic damage awards.
Stronger legal defenses for health care providers: Tighter requirements for proving negligence in medical malpractice cases.
Potential Impact:
➡️ Supporters of tort reform say these changes may reduce health care costs by lowering malpractice insurance costs for doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers.
Note: Research shows tort reform does not have a noticeable impact on health care costs.
➡️ Similarly, some believe medical malpractice reform can improve health care affordability by preventing excessive lawsuits and high-dollar malpractice payouts. Research also shows limits on lawsuits and awards do not impact health care costs for patients.
⚠️ Makes it harder for injured patients to receive full compensation by limiting damages and restricting lawsuit procedures. ⚠️ Reduces the ability of juries to award large pain and suffering damages, which may impact victims of serious medical errors.
⚠️ Hospitals and doctors could have fewer legal consequences for medical mistakes, making it harder for some patients to seek justice.
SB 80 – Expanding Eligibility for Rural Hospital Tax Credits
GHF’s Position: No position
Sponsor: Sen. Carden Summers Status: Introduced and referred to Senate Health and Human Services Committee Summary: SB 80 would revise the definition of a “rural hospital organization” in Georgia’s tax credit program, which provides state tax credits to individuals and businesses that donate to rural hospitals. The bill updates the eligibility criteria to allow more hospitals to qualify for these tax credits, potentially increasing funding for rural health care providers.
Key details:
The bill modifies the definition of a “rural hospital organization” to include:
Acute care hospitals and rural freestanding emergency departments licensed by the state.
Facilities that provide inpatient hospital services in rural counties or are critical access hospitals (small hospitals that meet federal rural health criteria).
Potential Impact:
✅ SB 80 could increase potential funding for more rural hospitals, provide financial relief for hospitals serving a high percentage of low-income and uninsured patients, and support struggling rural hospitals.
⚠️ The potential increase in competition for tax credit donations could shift funding among rural hospitals.
⚠️ Tax credits alone are not enough to solve the financial strain faced by rural hospitals in Georgia due to the high number of uninsured patients they treat.
HOUSE BILLS
HB 170 – Insurance Disclosure of Payments to Providers
GHF’s Position: No position
Sponsor: Rep. Karen Mathiak Status: Referred to House Insurance Committee Summary: HB 170 would require insurance companies and other health benefit providers to share information with health care providers about payments made for a patient’s care. The bill aims to improve transparency so that treating health care providers know what payments or reimbursements an insurance company has made for their services.
Key details:
Who must disclose information: Benefit providers (insurance companies, health maintenance organizations, employer health plans, and other entities that pay for health care services).
Who can request the information: Treating health care providers (licensed medical professionals who provided the care to the patient in question).
What must benefit providers disclose: A written report listing all payments and reimbursements the insurer made for the provider’s services to the patient.
How long does the insurer have to respond: 30 days after receiving a written request from the provider.
Potential Impact:
✅ Improves transparency in health care payments by ensuring providers know what insurers have paid for a patient’s care.
✅ Reduces billing confusion and helps providers ensure fair payment for their services.
⚠️ Does not require insurers to change how they determine payments—only to disclose what they have already paid.
Status: Referred to the House Public and Community Health Committee
Summary: HB 291 would establish a certification process for community health workers (CHWs) in Georgia. CHWs are frontline public health workers who help connect individuals to health care and essential services, particularly in underserved communities. They go by many titles, such as Patient Navigator, Community Health Advocate, and Promotora de Salud. By setting uniform standards and training for CHWs, creating a statewide certification system would support a skilled, stable CHW workforce.
Key details:
The bill creates the Georgia Community Health Worker Certification Committee within the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) to oversee certification. The committee’s responsibilities would include:
Set training and certification standards for CHWs.
Approve CHW training programs in Georgia.
Define core competencies (skills CHWs must demonstrate).
CHWs who were already working before January 1, 2026, will have a process to obtain certification without repeating training.
All CHWs in Georgia must be certified by the committee unless specifically exempted.
The state must officially approve CHW training programs.
Potential Impact:
✅ Improved health outcomes by increasing access to preventive care and social services.
✅ Greater workforce stability, creating alternative career pathways, and opening new Medicaid reimbursement options.
✅ Cost savings for health care facilities, as CHWs help reduce ER visits and hospitalizations.
⚠️ Training accessibility & cost: If certification requirements are too rigid or expensive, rural and low-income CHWs may struggle to meet them.
Advocate With Us At The Capitol!
Join These Advocacy Events During the Legislative Session
Each week during the legislative session, we’ll highlight legislative advocacy days hosted by our partner organizations. These events offer excellent opportunities for you to engage in the lawmaking process by meeting your legislators and advocating for critical health issues.
Please contact Anthony Hill at ahill@healthyfuturega.org if you have an advocacy event you’d like included in GHF’s legislative update
We hope to see you at one or more of these impactful events!
GHF Has You Covered!
Stay up-to-date with the legislative session
GHF monitors legislative activity on a number of critical consumer health care topics. Along with our weekly legislative updates and timely analysis of bills, here are tools to help you stay in touch with health policy under the Gold Dome.
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