What HB 1262 does: Raises the maximum penalties the Commissioner of Insurance can impose on insurance companies for violations of mental health parity reporting requirements, general insurance law, and the Surprise Billing Consumer Protection Act. The bill increases the current per-violation standard from $2,000 to $10,000 and the knowing-violation standard from $5,000 to $25,000.
Note: HB 1262 was not heard by the Senate Insurance Committee, but the bill language was presented to a Senate Insurance subcommittee, along with many other insurance reform measures. While several other insurance reform measures were added to HB 1344 before it passed out of the committee, HB 1262 was not included in the amendments.
Consumer impact: Because all penalties remain discretionary, the bill’s real-world value depends entirely on whether Georgia’s Department of Insurance (DOI) chooses to use its expanded authority. DOI has expressed support for the bill, which suggests they want to hold insurers accountable when they violate the law.